Naomi Wolf's 10 steps to Fascism - 2007

1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy (check) 2. Create a gulag - domestic prison pipeline and Guantanamo/Black sites overseas (check) 3. Develop a thug caste - police, proud boys, gunmen in the state capitol buildings (check) 4. Set up a surveillance system - See NSA's Bluffdale in Utah's Wasatch Range (check) 5. Harass citizen groups - Protests like Black Lives Matter, Occupy WS, XL Pipeline (check) 6. Arbitrary detention and release - racism/classism in America for forever (check) 7. Target key individuals - "Glenn Greenwald, just got blamed for Lauren Wolf firing (check) 8. Control the Press - CNN, MsNBC, Fox (Two party duopoly fairway of topics (check) 9. Dissent = Treason - Intelligence community operations Russiagate; Assange (check) 10. Suspend rule of law - Free speech, Patriot Act, Shooting at Protesters (check)

*** Cannot say we were not warned. Hedges talked about sacrifice zones. Dr. West talked about the neo-fascist and neoliberal elements of the elite clashing and consolidating. Thomas Frank reminds us that the corporate left and moderate right have merged with the intelligence community, big media and tech companies to form the merger between state, business, and military - very definition of fascism.

Tell tale sign is to look out across our country and look at all the indifference from 400,000 to 500,000 deaths, as capital seeks business as usual and the wealthy are seeking normalcy. People who are struggling want healthcare, non-penury education, and affordable housing, but this would eat into the profit streams of people who are in moral bankruptcy -- so they choose to forget. This is how you can tell we are fucked as a nation. Every person for themselves (YOYO - you're on your own) just does not work. It is a fable, a story tale from an exploitative business class pissed off that Roosevelt beat them for so long --- not taking inventory and shoving Taibbi's vampire squid up our asses, ridiculing even the most minor attempts at socialist policies to help people survive because ....

wait for it wait for it

It's "commy-u-nest" - when any first year course in economics could explain that all to most economies across the world find a way to balance capital and labor needs.

Alas, this kind of thinking is what will be the death of us and our country - Agnotology 101