The End of America

The idea that history repeats itself in one form or another has been proven time and time again. Empires fall, people revolt, man-made disasters occur. This is what makes the future seem scary, its uncertainty. But there are always signs of the path that lies ahead, and with the state of the world as it is right now, the future looks grim, especially for someone like me with his whole life ahead of him. A faltering economy, environmental degradation, political corruption, and increasing poverty only appear to getting worse.

I have recently watched the film "The End of America" (curdiousy of the Rambling Taoist) based on the book by Naomi Wolf. It breaks down the steps a state typically takes on its way to becoming oppressive and autocratic society, particularly those of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and the Soviet Union. In the early 1930s, Germany was a functioning republic, but Hitler was able to take power by slowly implementing these steps. What is frightening is that many of these steps have already been implemented in some form right here in America. The steps are:

1) Invoke an internal and external threat to create a state of fear - Thanks to 9/11, the Bush administration used the treat of "Terrorism" to scare people into doing anything he wanted.

2) Establish secret prisons where torture can take place - Case in point, Guantanamo Bay.

3) Develop a paramilitary force that can't be democratically accounted for - The increasing use of Blackwater and other private military contractors allows the military to subvert accountability by Congress (or anyone else).

4) Surveil ordinary citizens - The state of fear created by 9/11 allowed Bush to ram the PATRIOT Act through Congress, which allows for mass surveillance of innocent people.

5) Infiltrate citizen’s groups - For years, the government has had moles infiltrate activist groups, even those completely unrelated to political issues.

6) Detain and release ordinary citizens - People (like James Yee) have often been detained without being charged with a crime because they speak out against government policy. Selective detention is used to intimidate key people.

7) Target key Individuals - Intimidating prominent people who speak out against the government in order keep the masses in fear.

8) Restrict the Press - The press' job is to investigate and report. If government wants to be secretive, they must surpress the distribution of information. The Pentagon Papers are a good example.

9) Recast criticism as espionage and dissent as treason - Label anyone who opposes government policy as treasonous and use it as an excuse to silence them (or in our case a "Terrorist").

10) Subvert the rule of law - Remove checks and balances to increase government control.

In a nutshel

The film shows how these steps are currently being implemented and how America is slowly becoming a closed society. This film may scare you, but we should heed its warning. Don't submit to fear. Stand up for what is right.

Here is the trailer:

And of course the film itself:



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