Profound Disappointment

Over the years we argue on usenet; conservatives and liberals, socialists and capitalists, Christians and atheists, and through it all the collective nightmare of Hitler's fascism is somehow remembered even though many of us cannot actually remember the killings, the concentration camps and the torture.

We assume that there are lines that none would cross because of that nightmare. Essentially we are all working toward the same things; a better life, progress, a greater measure of equality, freedom and democracy. We may have very different ways of achieving a better society and a better future and this is the basis of our arguing.

But there are lines that none of us would cross, I had assumed. We would not accept any mass slaughter of innocent people by one state against any people. We would not accept a single country actually advocating and believing that it is up to them to rule the world. We would not accept torture and concentration camps - never again. The nightmare of Hitler at least serves that purpose. We know what evil is. We know what lines *not* to cross.

But here we are in 2005 and it is quite common to argue with people that argue in favour of global imperialism and these despicable quislings believe that the will of those with the most power is worth bowing and scraping to. The sovereignty of other nations is just pretentious nonsense. They even apologize for concentration camps and torture carried out by the madmen intent on conquering the world.It wasn't so long ago that I wondered how Hitler actually managed to get people to follow his insane designs on the world and his sadistic state/corporate imperialism. I don't wonder any more. Unfortunately, I sometimes argue with the same kind of people that followed Hitler. They accept that America has the legitimate right to tell other countries what to do and the right to invade other countries to prevent THAT enemy from future aggression. They accept a state that arrests people BEFORE they commit the crime. They accept their master’s torture of foreigners or any perceived enemies. They accept their masters right to lock people up in concentration camps without trial and their right to actually torture them. I've argued with people here who minimize the torture as if it's not really torture proper. These people cannot be trusted. They are as real an enemy as Hitler and his hordes of murderers.

Many right wingers that used to support American meddling have shut up about it, and I have noticed it and I'm pleased by that. But then there are the Hitlerite apologists. You are clearly an enemy as the Nazis were in the last century and I expect that eventually this fight will progress beyond arguing. If that is your intent, so be it. You cowards will be defeated again.

A few short years ago I saw these arguments on usenet as a game, a way of sharpening my debating skills. But now I realize that this is not a rehearsal. We are into the real thing and I am arguing with real fascists.

I am profoundly disappointed.

( Psychologists have done experiments, most notably Milgram, and found that about one third of the population are quislings that bow to authority and are willing to do so on the pain of others. One third - remember that.)