[tesco samoa]

Saw this at /. Just liked it... So posted it.
THE FIFTY STEPS TO WORLD WAR & FASCISM
( an adaptation of Author Thom Hartman"s "When Democracy Failed,

1. THE GOVERNMENT RECEIVED WARNINGS OF AN IMMINENT ATTACK.
2. THE WARNINGS WERE IGNORED.
3. THE NATION'S LEADER WAS ILLEGITIMATE, ELECTED BY A MINORITY.
4. HE WAS A SIMPLETON WHO SAW THINGS IN BLACK AND WHITE ONLY.
5. HIS LANGUAGE WAS COARSE AND OFFENSIVE.
6. AS A YOUNG MAN, HE JOINED A SECRET SOCIETY WHOSE RITUALS
INCLUDED SKULL AND BONES.
7. HE KNEW THE TERRORIST WHO WAS GOING TO STRIKE.
8. HE STOOD ON THE RUBBLE OF THE BUILDING ATTACKED.
9. HE DECLARED ALL-OUT WAR AGAINST EVIL.
10. A DETENTION CENTER FOR TERRORISTS WAS SOON BUILT.
11. LEGISLATION WAS ENACTED BANNING FREE SPEECH, PRIVACY AND HABEAS CORPUS.
12. SUSPECTED TERRORISTS COULD BE IMPRISONED WITHOUT ACCESS TO LAWYERS.
13. A PATRIOTIC "DECREE" WAS PASSED WITH A 4 YEAR SUNSET PROVISION.
14. LEGISLATORS DID NOT HAVE TIME TO READ IT.
15. SUSPICIOUS PERSONS WERE ARRESTED WITHOUT ACCESS TO LAWYERS OR THE COURTS.
16. THOSE OBJECTING WERE IGNORED BY A MAINSTREAM PRESS.
17. PROTESTING CITIZENS WERE FENCED OFF IN ZONES.
18. THE COUNTRY WAS REFERRED TO AS THE "HOMELAND".
19. IT WAS OUR HOMELAND VS. ALL OTHERS.
20. THE LEADER DECLARED THAT AN INTERNATIONAL BODY WHICH DID NOT ACT FIRST IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE NATION WAS IRRELEVANT.
21. HE WITHDREW FROM THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS.
22. HE CLAIMED HIS MOTIVATIONS WERE ROOTED IN CHRISTIANITY.
23. HE FELT THAT THE VARIOUS AGENCIES WERE NOT COORDINATED TO DEAL WITH THE TERRORIST THREAT.
24. HE PROPOSED A SINGLE AGENCY TO PROTECT THE HOMELAND.
25. HE APPOINTED ONE OF HIS TRUSTED ASSOCIATES TO LEAD THIS NEW AGENCY.
26. THE RADIO AND PRESS WERE AT HIS DISPOSAL.
27. PEOPLE WERE ENCOURAGED TO PHONE IN TIPS ABOUT SUSPICIOUS NEIGHBORS.
28. OPPOSITION LEADERS AND CELEBRITIES WHO SPOKE OUT WERE
DENOUNCED.
29. THE LEADER CONSOLIDATED HIS POWER AND BROUGHT CORPORATE
LEADERS INTO HIGH GOVERNMENT POSITIONS.
30. A FLOOD OF GOVERNMENT MONEY POURED INTO CORPORATE COFFERS.
31. THE LEADER ENCOURAGED LARGE CORPORATIONS TO ACQUIRE MEDIA OUTLETS AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL CONCERNS ACROSS THE NATION,
PARTICULARLY THOSE OWNED BY SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE OF MIDDLE EASTERN
ANCESTRY.
32. HE BUILT POWERFUL ALLIANCES WITH INDUSTRY.
33. DISSENT AROSE WITHIN AND OUTSIDE THE GOVT. LEADERS OF OTHER NATIONS SPOKE OUT AGAINST HIS BELLICOSE RHETORIC.
34. THE LEADER NEEDED A DIVERSION TO DIRECT PEOPLE AWAY FROM CORPORATE CRONYISM.
35. HE BEGAN A CAMPAIGN TO MANIPULATE THE MEDIA TO HYPE A LIMITED WAR.
36. A NATION WHICH HARBORED SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE AND HAD A TENUOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TERRORIST WHO HAD SET AFIRE THE NATIONS MOST IMORTANT BUILDING, HAD THE RESOURCES HE NEEDED.
37. THE LEADER PUBLICLY DELIVERED AN ULTIMATUM.
38. HE CLAIMED THE RIGHT TO PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE IN SELF-DEFENSE.
39. AFTER MILITARY ACTION BEGAN, THE BRITISH PM DECLARED THAT IT WOULD BRING PEACE IN OUR TIME.
40. THE LEADER DECLARED THAT THOSE HE CONQUERED LOVED HIM.
41. THE PRESS BEGAN TO EQUATE HIS POLICIES WITH PATRIOTISM AND THE NATION ITSELF.
42. THE MEDIA SAID NATIONAL UNITY WAS ESSENTIAL.
43. THOSE QUESTIONING THE LEADER WERE CALLED TRAITORS.
44. DISSENT WAS STIFLED AS INTELLECTUALS AND LIBERALS WERE
THRASHED.
45. VOICES OF OPPOSITION WERE RAISED AFTER THE LIMITED WAR.
46. THE DAILY PROPAGANDA DID NOT TOTALLY SUPPRESS DISSENT.
47. A FULL WAR WAS NECESSARY TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM GROWING OPPOSITION.
48. ONE YEAR LATER, WORLD WAR II BEGAN.
49. THE BLITZKRIEG OR LIGHTNING WAR "SHOCKED AND AWED" EUROPE.
50. "FASCISM SHOULD MORE PROPERLY BE CALLED CORPORATISM, SINCE

IT IS THE MERGER OF STATE AND CORPORATE POWER." - BENITO MUSSOLINE

FASCISM-
"A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT THAT EXERCISES DICTATORSHIP BY THE EXTREME RIGHT TYPICALLY THROUGH THE MERGING OF STATE AND
CORPORATE POWER, TOGETHER WITH BELLIGERENT NATIONALISM"