facebook Fascists

 

Book burners--watercolor

7 1/2 x 11 300# Fabriano Artistico paper

How dare intolerant Nazis cut off my right of dissent, my ability to read, to think, to speak, and then not even have the ethics and guts to take responsibility for such totalitarian acts?

They did. American book burners are back in business.

It happened last week when I posted a link to a NY Times story on the Tea Party movement on this blog and  facebook. Within two days, facebook blocked the link  because some people found the article "offensive." No one had to take blame for that viewpoint--which is allowed under the First Amendment--but there was no recourse against facebook. From now on, it's facebook, lower case--or caste--for me. I understand the need to police pornography, child pornography and other legal items. That's far different than squelching freedom.

But to forbid political discussion because some right-wing wackos don't want another viewpoint published? This smacks of the Inquisition, The Nazis, the Soviet purges, the Red Scare of the 1950s, the oppression and violence of the Civil Rights movement, the legalized terrorism in present day China  and Iran when books were burned, people blacklisted, or simply hauled off in the middle of the night because someone had reported they were Jewish, or people who dared question or oppose authority.

These extreme right-wingers are no different if they can't tolerate differing views and work to silence them

In fact, this anonymous auhoritarianism shows its "true colors," and they're not red, white and blue. Their colors are the colors of tyranny of thought, of conformity, of shouting, of bigotry, of religious intolerance--refusing to e to compromise, to listen, to consider other ideas, even if disagreeing.

These tea partiers are trying to destroy the very freedoms they enjoy--for those who don't agree with them. This action proves they would repeal the First Amendment that gives me the right to think, to speak, to write this blog, to worship when and where and if I want, to gather like they do.

I don't mind argument and dissent...it makes us who we are. John Stuart Mill, in On Liberty summed up the basis of our freedoms. Dissent and disagreement, and free publication of all ideas, is essential for freedom. He believed that we were rational beings and truth would rise to the top, like cream, echoing John Milton's "free marketplace of ideas." Those who try to stifle dissent and refuse to consider other ideas are not, alas, rational. They're fearful, insecure, bigots. They're  the same fearful, narrow-minded bigots that stole my campaign yard sign.  These people are not conservatives--they give conservatives a bad name. Real conservatives want to conserve individual freedoms, not destroy them.

These are the people who have driven Sen. Evan Bayh from the Senate. These are the people who are trying to unseat Sen. John McCain, and Sen. Kay Baily Hutchison of Texas. These are the people who have brought Congress to a standstill. Perhaps the last time there was so little compromise in national politics was right before the American Civil War. Will the country come apart again? I think it already has.

I'll post a link to this scree on facebook. Wonder how long before the facebook fascists disagree, report me as "offensive, and prohibit you from reading it?