The New Fascism

Today Donald Rumsfeld stated that the critics of the Administration's policies regarding the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism were misguided and confused. Mr. Rumsfeld claims that a new threat of fascism threatens America.

In this regard, Mr. Rumsfeld is correct. A new era of fascism is indeed abrew in the world. This fascism threatens to destroy democracy and liberty and the rights we as free people have fought countless wars, spilled gallons of blood and shed interminable tears to preserve.

But it is not world terrorism from which this threat of fascism derives. Rather, it is the power mongers, the greedy industrial executives and the modern "land barons" from whom this threat stems.

All we need to do to determine the truth of this hypothesis is to follow the money trail and we will see that this path leads us straight to the streets of America, past the avenues of New York and the monuments of Washington and into the cloistered chambers of the White House, the ivory towers of academia and the soaring towers of urbania.

Mr. Rumsfeld understands this threat clearly as do Vice President Cheney and President Bush. If not the creators of this fascism, they are clearly in league with those who are. This Administration paints the world in black and white - either you support the Administration and its growing totalitarian powers or you are labeled a terrorist.

But liberty is not painted in black and white. Democracy is a multitude of color like flowers in a field - crimson, gold, violet, aquamarine, vermillion, tangerine. Democracy is not a regimented formation of troops marching in lockstep, it is children playing.

Democracy is not destroyed buildings and clouds of smoke from burning pyres, snipers on rooftops or children with crushed bodies lying dead in the street. Democracy is lovers walking hand in hand along a beach, young adults dancing at a nightclub with flashing lights and battering sound, a jazz band in New Orleans, a poetry slam at a coffee shop in Portland, strangers donating blood at the Red Cross and volunteers at an animal shelter.

Liberty cannot be ordered or predicted. Democracy is colors and sound and children and dancing. It is meant to be lived to the fullest extent of our spirit. It is meant to be lived with the full experience of our heart. It can only be understaood at the level of our soul and it can only be fully appreciated at the spiritual level of our being. This Administration does not understand that. We, who are the rest of America, do.