... But The Duke of Clarence Might!*
And there were so very many things of which she disapproved: with the exception of the "sublime" Albert, she disapproved of sex in almost any form. (Irony: what is considered, even by today's standards, a very kinky type piercing is called a "Prince Albert" - always an embarrassing situation at airport security). For some people, attendance at her court was considered to be more of a penance than a boon (women especially). Only "naughty Bertie" the Prince of Wales ever livened it up, but even he kept a vast distance between himself and "mama" most of the time. And when Albert died, an entire nation had to mourn - for about twenty years. The palace looked like the main chapel of a funeral parlor and Victoria NEVER wore any color but black for the rest of her (long) life.
Forget the Fabulous Fifties, the Roaring Twenties or even the Gilded Age.. Fundamentalists, Reconstructionists and Christofascists everywhere pray that we must return to the Victorian age before Christ comes again. The Age was so pure, so masculine, so romantic. Why, can't you see Ann Coulter(geist) in a crinoline? At 6'1" and in an 17"-waist whalebone corset, she would have cut a dashing (if odd) figure! And the New Victorian Age would demand that Faith and Religion (Christian only, of course) take precedent over science instead of (horrors!) the other way around as it is today!
have to learn from history's mistakes, not go backwards in time to an imagined history. Victorians did that too: they built faux castles, made decorative armor, and romanticized themes beyond recognition. Then (horrors!) science and industry appeared and the "genuine gothic" didn't just disappear - it collapsed like a flimsy set built for an even flimsier play. And in literature, Tennyson was giving way to Whitman, and Edward Bulwer-Lytton ("It was a dark and stormy night...") gave way to Mark Twain.
father "Bertie" (Edward VII). While a great deal of rumors flew about his misadventures (he was even suspected of being "Jack the Ripper"!), the most prevalent one was his implication in a male brothel scandal. His death from an influenza pandemic brought about all sorts of conspiracy theories:
The protocol's never been any sort of state secret: the Pope is addressed as "Your Holiness" or, by his own, "Most Holy Father.""Your Eminence, you're looking good," Bush told the pope.For the record, the greeting would've been perfectly delivered... were the President giving it to a cardinal.
...At Guantanamo
On this day in 1953, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed in Sing Sing, NY.
"We are the first victims of American fascism".
(From Wikipedia)
Their case has been at the center of the controversy over communism in the United States ever since, with supporters steadfastly maintaining that their conviction was an egregious example of persecution typical of the "hysteria" of those times and likening it to the witch hunts that marred Salem and medieval Europe.
There are, of course, differences in the Rosenberg case and the detainees at Guantanamo: first, they were allowed legal counsel and, second, they were given a trial. And they had supporters:
"Fascism, which was not afraid to call itself reactionary. . .does not hesitate to call itself illiberal and anti-liberal."--Benito Mussolini"If fascism came to America, it would be on a program of Americanism."
--Huey P. Long
"Fascism is hostile to Marxism, liberalism, and conservatism, yet it borrows concepts and practices from all three. Fascism rejects the principles of class struggle and workers' internationalism as threats to national or racial unity, yet it often exploits real grievances against capitalists and landowners through ethnic scapegoating or radical-sounding conspiracy theories. Fascism rejects the liberal doctrines of individual autonomy and rights, political pluralism, and representative government, yet it advocates broad popular participation in politics and may use parliamentary channels in its drive to power. Its vision of a "new order" clashes with the conservative attachment to tradition-based institutions and hierarchies, yet fascism often romanticizes the past as inspiration for national rebirth."
Huey Long, Louisiana Governor and Senator, was often described in fascist terms: he was a populist, no doubt, and he was very, very power-hungry in the end, but his contributions to the State of Louisiana are undisputed. He was thought to be corrupt and he certainly took cronyism to new heights, but there was an aura about him which the people of Louisiana worshipped. He admitted to some of his shady politics, but said that things could not be done for his constituents without political slight-of-hand and outright bribes.
Dobson's Family Research Council is identified as an dominionist organization
by TheocracyWatch, which says that the Congressional scorecard of the Family Research Council illustrates its success and the strength of dominionists in Congress. It is claimed that Dobson's teachings include many tenets of the Dominionist movement.
Dobson is cited by social observers and the press as a leading figure in the Dominionism movement.A May 2005 article in Harpers described Dobson as "perhaps the most powerful figure in the Dominionist movement" and "a crucial player in getting out the Christian vote for George W. Bush."One ministry described Dobson as "One of its [the Dominionism movement] most powerful leaders."
Dobson stresses that parents must uphold their authority and do so consistently, comparing the relationship between parents and disobedient children to a battle: "When you are defiantly challenged, win decisively." In The Strong-Willed Child, Dobson draws an analogy between the defiance of a family pet and that of a small child, and concludes that "just as surely as a dog will occasionally challenge the authority of his leaders, so will a little child — only more so.(emphasis in original)
Dobson's Dominionism would not be a problem if it did not have a strong Reconstructionist bent: Dobson sees a Fascist Theocracy for America and, if he lives long enough, with him as its Christian-only pope. His attack dog, Tony Perkins, a semi-literate old choir boy (alright, I'll stop it), a graduate of Pat Robertson's Regent University, hosts a "Values Voters' Summit," before election time. Basically, it's a "Dobson for Holy Dictator" rally that seems like it focuses on the family, but in reality acts as a hate group against its current "family crisis": homosexuality, in particular, same-sex marriage.
...To Act Like An American!
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