self-test for fascist tendencies

July 19, 2006

item # 1:

you believe
your group
is inherently
intrinsically
better
than
others

Posted in EvilDoers, Poetry | 14 Comments »

14 Responses to “self-test for fascist tendencies”

fencer Says:

July 19, 2006 at 3:21 am
You’re writing so much pithy good stuff!

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mead Says:

July 19, 2006 at 10:17 pm
If it isn’t, aren’t you in the wrong group?

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qazse Says:

July 20, 2006 at 12:01 am
I think the notion that a group of people is superior to another group of people in an essential, basic, implicit, fundamental way gives rise to beliefs such as birthright, manifest destiny, and ethnic cleansing.

This is not to deny that later circumstance helps to craft differences between people – some having special skills at this (eg. sherpa climbers) and others having special skills at that (eg Amazon dart hunters).

However, it is my belief and experience , when you treat people as equals life works better; whether it is sitting down to talk peace (vs demonizing the enemy ), or eliminating executive parking at the plant.

Now, a group of people brought together to compete needs to believe they are capable of winning every time as long as they work.
hard and execute. Should they believe they are “better” than the other team? I think not. That is often a formula for having your head handed to you. I play best when I have something to prove.

What do you think ?

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liquidquick Says:

July 20, 2006 at 12:09 am
i wonder though… could they just be parading themselves? the ‘pinko commie homo scum’ banner is actually IN pink… maybe they’re just reclaiming the label.

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qazse Says:

July 20, 2006 at 12:23 am
Ah liquidquick, the Speedracer of haiku (mead is also worthy of the title). I was just over at your site looking at the latest 15-16-15 16-17-16 barrage. Awesome job. I have no time to respond with a 17-18-17 tonight. I will tackle it tomorrow hopefully.

with regard to your clever observation, you have outed me. The picture is of my friends and me on a Montana highway. We thought we would make it easier for the homophobes and fascists to spot us since we enjoy beatings.

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liquidquick Says:

July 20, 2006 at 1:13 pm
ahhh… in that case should have gone with black. angry text is so much more menacing when its dark; pink is a bit… cheerful… for homophobes. of course, it would have been worse if you had smiley faces and curlycues, so on the whole not too bad.

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mead Says:

July 20, 2006 at 9:11 pm
First of all, shame on you for the Photoshopped pic.

Second of all:

To
contstantly reevaluate
your associations does
not lead to genocide.
I agree that those who
dwell on their own
greatness will not
keep it
long.

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qazse Says:

July 20, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Was that photoshopped.? I didn’t know. I lifted it off an image search of “bias”. I should have suspected when liquidquick underscored the fact it was pink. I will remove it after this post.

Secondly, my belief is: when people see themselves as innately above others by fact of birth characteristics they are more apt to dehumanize those others. It is not a guarantee nor is it sufficient. But I do think it a necessary component to the equation of ethnic based atrocities.

I have no objection to your assertions above.

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qazse Says:

July 20, 2006 at 11:15 pm
Let me also point out, this poem’s first line states “item #1: ” This was placed there for several reasons. One of the reasons was to imply there is more than one variable or factor to making a fascist. For example, another variable could the experience or belief of being victimized. There are several others which readily come to mind.

I agree. It is no simple matter. I am sorry if I portrayed it as such.

Note: regarding causation in general, I believe it is almost always multi-variant with all phenomenon.

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mead Says:

July 20, 2006 at 11:32 pm
If you zoom in on the pic you’ll notice that while everything else is out of focus, the bright pink lettering is in focus. Also, the shadows/colors on the masks, which I believe are also photoshopped, are wrong. No need to take the picture down…it adds to the post (albeit in a humorous way, which may not be your aim).

I, too, do not take your intended point lightly, even though I may make snide-ish comments. I merely like to poke fun of sweeping generalities. It would now be perfectly appropriate for you to say, “Shut up, mead. It’s poetry.” or, “Shut up, mead. I was just trying to make a poem that looked like a goblet.” or simply, “Shut up, mead.”

🙂

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qazse Says:

July 20, 2006 at 11:54 pm
I love that you too saw the goblet.

I know what you mean about sweeping generalities. In fact that could be item#3: You believe in sweeping generalities.

Please feel free to call me out on anything. I am susceptible to all manner of illogic, hyperbole, and hubris.

ps I’m afraid I will not be able to fulfill my haiku duties on the renga tonight. Tomorrow and Saturday I will be away catering. If you or liquidquick care to leap frog ahead, be my guest. Otherwise I’ll try and get one up by Sunday night. Also, I must find time to go harrass you on your site.

pps I don’t know how I would zoom in on that pic. I would have enlarged it for the original post if I had known how. I am a techneanderthal in many ways.

Salutations

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mead Says:

July 21, 2006 at 1:08 am
Of course I saw the goblet,

for the goblet is full of MEAD. HAHA!!

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Towanda, Amazonian Jungle Temptress Says:

August 14, 2006 at 2:57 pm
i for one would be more likely to take these hate groups seriously if they could spell a little better and stop parading around in mullets.

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qazse Says:

August 14, 2006 at 11:49 pm
What’s rong width mullets?

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