# Is America a Fascist Country? Are we the next Egypt? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 1, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835 "2011-02-01T23:06:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nilum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ed8c4c/32.png) [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/1 "2011-02-01T23:06:12Z")
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5kEYF1FcEU) I know this interview was conducted by prison planet (no one likes that place around here), but Alex Jones doesn’t make any interjections. This is _Former Assistant Secretary of Housing under George H.W. Bush Catherine Austin Fitts_ talking about the current economic situation. I found it very interesting, though most of what she said is nothing new to me. Do you guys see an uprising happening in the US similar to what happened in Egypt? Is the _Internet Kill Switch_ bill a sign that the US fears the same thing happening? What side would you be on if there was an uprising? ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/2 "2011-02-01T23:35:48Z")
No and no. Also, since you’re apparently aware of the posting habits around here (or are a bot) you’ll know that posting a link to an hour long video with no summary is frowned upon. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/3 "2011-02-01T23:37:16Z")
No, not fascist. No, not the next Egypt. Yes, Prison Planet is run by a crazy Illuminati-believing freakjob. Yes, content published on Prison Planet is probably also pretty crazy. If there was a revolution in America, I’d probably be on the side that said “Fuck this, I’m moving to Canada.” ---
**Author:** ![nilum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ed8c4c/32.png) [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/4 "2011-02-01T23:42:02Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > No and no. > > Also, since you’re apparently aware of the posting habits around here (or are a bot) you’ll know that posting a link to an hour long video with no summary is frowned upon. Umm… there IS a summary under the youtube video… ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Jacquelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Le\_Jacquelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Jacquelope)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/5 "2011-02-01T23:42:17Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > No, not fascist. > No, not the next Egypt. > Yes, Prison Planet is run by a crazy Illuminati-believing freakjob. > Yes, content published on Prison Planet is probably also pretty crazy. > If there was a revolution in America, I’d probably be on the side that said “Fuck this, I’m moving to Canada.” First a lot of people will need to rob banks to get out of the United States. Canada requires you prove you have $11,000 in assets to be allowed in. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/6 "2011-02-01T23:45:48Z")
> [@Le\_Jacquelope](#): > > First a lot of people will need to rob banks to get out of the United States. > > Canada requires you prove you have $11,000 in assets to be allowed in. No, it doesn’t. You know, you can look this stuff up on the Internet, so just making stuff up isn’t going to fly. > **[Live in Canada permanently - Canada.ca](https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada.html)** > > Find out how to immigrate to Canada. Explore permanent residence (PR) programs such as Express Entry, family sponsorship, and more. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/7 "2011-02-01T23:46:21Z")
> [@nilum](#): > > Umm… there IS a summary under the youtube video… Oh? Why don’t you tell me what it says? ---
**Author:** ![nilum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ed8c4c/32.png) [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/8 "2011-02-01T23:48:08Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Oh? Why don’t you tell me what it says? youtube: > [@](#): > > Former Assistant Secretary of Housing under George H.W. Bush Catherine Austin Fitts blows the whistle on how the financial terrorists have deliberately imploded the US economy and transferred gargantuan amounts of wealth offshore as a means of sacrificing the American middle class. Fitts documents how trillions of dollars went missing from government coffers in the 90’s and how she was personally targeted for exposing the fraud. > > Fitts explains how every dollar of debt issued to service every war, building project, and government program since the American Revolution up to around 2 years ago - around $12 trillion - has been doubled again in just the last 18 months alone with the bank bailouts. “We’re literally witnessing the leveraged buyout of a country and that’s why I call it a financial coup d’état, and that’s what the bailout is for,” states Fitts. > > Massive amounts of financial capital have been sucked out the United States and moved abroad, explains Fitts, ensuring that corporations have become more powerful than governments, changing the very structure of governance on the planet and ensuring we are ruled by private corporations. Pension and social security funds have also been stolen and moved offshore, leading to the end of fiscal responsibility and sovereignty as we know it. > > Fitts explained how when she was in government she tried to encourage the creation of small businesses, new jobs and new skills to compete in a globalized world otherwise the American middle class was toast, only to be forced out by the feds using dirty tricks. The elite instead wanted Americans to take on more credit card, mortgage and auto debt that corporations and insurers knew they couldn’t afford, while quietly moving their jobs abroad in the meantime. ---
**Author:** ![nilum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ed8c4c/32.png) [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/9 "2011-02-01T23:50:57Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > No, it doesn’t. > > You know, you can look this stuff up on the Internet, so just making stuff up isn’t going to fly. > > [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp](http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.asp) > [@](#): > > Skilled workers and professionals > For people who want to settle and work in Canada (outside of Quebec) > Quebec-selected skilled workers > For people selected by the Quebec government to settle and work in Quebec > Canadian Experience Class > For people who have recent Canadian work experience or have graduated and recently worked in Canada > Investors, entrepreneurs and self-employed people > For people who want to start a business in Canada > Provincial nominees > One of Canada’s provinces or territories can nominate you to settle and work there > Sponsoring your family > How to sponsor a family member to join you here if you are a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen And if you don’t meet any of those criteria? Then I imagine they do look at assets. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/10 "2011-02-01T23:56:41Z")
For those who are curious,[Fitts is a Troofer](http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/09/11/truth_petition/). ---
**Author:** ![Nadir](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nadir/32/7302_2.png) [@Nadir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nadir)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2011, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/11 "2011-02-01T23:59:43Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > No, not fascist. > No, not the next Egypt. > Yes, Prison Planet is run by a crazy Illuminati-believing freakjob. > Yes, content published on Prison Planet is probably also pretty crazy. > If there was a revolution in America, I’d probably be on the side that said “Fuck this, I’m moving to Canada.” This. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ And you really have to be smokin’ crack to even start trying to consider the practical aspects of that “Internet Kill Switch” hogwash. Sheeesh. Did anyone actually even read the bill? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/12 "2011-02-02T00:04:11Z")
> [@nilum](#): > > And if you don’t meet any of those criteria? Then I imagine they do look at assets. Those are ALL the categories. If you don’t meet any of those criteria, you cannot immigrate to Canada. The only other legal path in is refugee status, and obviously refugees aren’t asked for eleven grand. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/13 "2011-02-02T00:05:03Z")
> [@nilum](#): > > What side would you be on if there was an uprising? The [Scorched Earth Party.](http://www.armory.com/~crisper/Scorch/) > [@](#): > > Here at the Scorched Earth Party, we are dedicated to a few simple principles: > > ``` > * that the concept of "life is sacred" is the best joke we've heard this year. > * that nothing satisfies like clubbing some moron to death with a lead pipe. > * that you can never get laid enough. > * that the world will continue to deteriorate until 90% of its population is eliminated. > > ``` > > True happiness will never be yours unless you rise up with us. Join the 10% with the lead pipes. Help save the world through random, messy violence, and then wallow in carnal pleasure among the ruins. ---
**Author:** ![nilum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ed8c4c/32.png) [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/14 "2011-02-02T00:13:30Z")
> [@Nadir](#): > > This. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ > > And you really have to be smokin’ crack to even start trying to consider the practical aspects of that “Internet Kill Switch” hogwash. Sheeesh. > > Did anyone actually even read the bill? Did you? You don’t think that such infrastructure could be misused? And do the benefits really outweigh the harm? How much money do you think we would lose if the internet went out all over the country even for a day? Should we really be relying on the same tactic as pulling the plug on our modem for our nations entire network? ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/15 "2011-02-02T00:16:48Z")
Egypt: same guy has been president for 30 years. USA: five different presidents in 30 years. Egypt: one party state since 1978 USA: presidency has switched between two major parties six times since 1978. Egypt: since 1968: “state of emergency”. USA: since 1968: public protests led to withdrawl from unpopular war; corrupt president forced to resign; civil liberties continue despite terrorist attacks; and deep criticism of foreign military operations. Are we the next Egypt? In a pig’s eye. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/16 "2011-02-02T00:25:48Z")
> [@](#): > > …the financial terrorists have deliberately imploded the US economy and transferred gargantuan amounts of wealth offshore as a means of sacrificing the American middle class. Financial terrorist #1: I want to sacrifice the American middle class! FT#2: Of course, I want that, too! FT#1: But how can we manage that? FT#2: I know, we’ll steal a bunch of money and hide it in offshore accounts. FT#1: Hmm, that hadn’t occurred to me, but I guess it would work. Somehow, I think that, even to the extent that’s true, the cause and effect are mixed up. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/17 "2011-02-02T00:44:16Z")
> [@nilum](#): > > ? Do you really think that taking a Troofer at their word when they see yet another dastardly conspiracy is really the best policy? ---
**Author:** ![wheresmymind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@wheresmymind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wheresmymind)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/18 "2011-02-02T00:48:04Z")
The youtube summary you quoted seems to boil down to “The fiscal policy of the US is unsound and has resulted in a huge national debt, which is probably going to come back to bite use in the future.” While I probably disagree on some of the finer points, I’ll concede the main idea. However, I fail to see the link between having an enormous national debt and fascism. Where’s the authoritarian government? The single-party state? The rampant nationalism? Do you really understand what “fascist” means? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/19 "2011-02-02T01:22:14Z")
Has a Great Debates thread that begins with a link to to a YouTube video _ever_ ended well? I’m not interested in watching that thing, **nilum** , but anyone who thinks the U.S. is a fascist country has no understanding of fascism, and anyone who thinks the situation in the U.S. is really similar to the situation in Egypt has no understanding of what is happening in either country. That’s true no matter how much you may think the federal government has overreached in recent years (or many decades) and no matter what one former cabinet official says. ---
**Author:** ![nilum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ed8c4c/32.png) [@nilum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nilum)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835/20 "2011-02-02T02:03:55Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Egypt: same guy has been president for 30 years. > USA: five different presidents in 30 years. > > Egypt: one party state since 1978 > USA: presidency has switched between two major parties six times since 1978. > > Egypt: since 1968: “state of emergency”. > USA: since 1968: public protests led to withdrawl from unpopular war; corrupt president forced to resign; civil liberties continue despite terrorist attacks; and deep criticism of foreign military operations. > > Are we the next Egypt? In a pig’s eye. I think that some would argue successfully that quite a few presidents have been in the pocket of corporations and banks, and to a major extent both parties pander to lobbyists. When the leaders of this country are picked by how much money they can throw at a campaign and what corporations are endorsing them, how can we have anything _but_ fascism in this country. Also, our liberties are under constant threat of being stripped away by the populace either through indifference, desire for more government control of our lives, or by giving the government more power to _protect_ us. We’re also continually hearing from our own government about how well the Chinese model works, if it’s not the Internet infrastructure, it’s their economy. Of course there is no mention about poor living conditions, pollution, and human rights violations in the what they espouse. The problem is most of the people on this message board are not poor and probably have stock in the corrupt system. It works for them. It protects their interests. _Who cares how many get screwed as long as it’s best for me and my family._ I get this vibe from many of the members here. I pity you for not having any type of perspective. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-a-fascist-country-are-we-the-next-egypt/569835.md?page=2)