Belly Of The Beast

You keep telling yourself over and over that it can’t be true. You don’t want to believe it because if you did then you would have to change the way you perceive the society you live in. But then the evidence stacks itself so high that you come to a place where you must decide to do one of two things:

A) Accept the facts and begin living into the truth of what you’ve learned or
B) Reject the evidence and live with blinders over your eyes and fingers in your ears.

Some years ago I chose the first option and now I'm paying for it. It’s amazing how quickly one can be spun out to the edges of this society simply by speaking up about things like freedom (of speech and ideas) and against things like patriotism, nationalism, capitalism, corporations and a corrupt government system.

Being ostracized is an interesting tool that societies have used for centuries to punish those who threaten the societal norms. For example, if within a given society it is normal to kill your children once they reach a certain age then you are automatically ostracized (or worse) if you allow your child to live past the socially accepted age.

So I step outside the norm and decide to listen to a different story. A story of an on going struggle against abused and misused power. Lord Acton said it like this, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I fully agree.

I am begging to accept that America is not the country I grew up believing it was. I choose to believe that America is nearly (if not fully) a fascist nation, not the democracy you and I were taught to believe it was.

And with this realization I begin asking myself a new set of questions and seeking out stories that are relevant to my personal beliefs: How does one live in a fascist nation? What can I learn from those who have lived beneath fascist rule in the past? Can I fight fascism or will I simply be thrown in prison as a reward for my efforts (think Nazi concentration camps)?

Oh, I know, I'm insane. I'm over the top, right? Just keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. By all means don’t read the constitution, don’t know your rights as a citizen and don’t be informed about what is going on in our government.

Fascism thrives on denial, silence and fear.