Can a movement similar to fascism emerge in the US?

[sapphi_snake]

badgenome said:

I brought up affirmative action to show how counterproductive and unfair things can become when self-righteous politicians set out to right a societal wrong. Lots of minorities and women have done very well for themselves in America. They idea that they are oppressed simply because they belong to Group X, Y, or Z is... well, it's frankly incredibly fucking retarded. My biggest problem with the left is that they like to divide people into groups and treat them as nothing more than a representative of said group rather than as an individual. A poor white (or Asian, for that matter) male is at a considerable disadvantage due to affirmative action, since it is entirely race based rather than means based. The fact of the matter is that the son of a rich black actor or football player simply doesn't need the government's help the way he would have decades ago. Things have changed, but affirmative action hasn't changed with the times, and leftists' slavish devotion to that outdated program resembles nothing more or less than old-tyme religion.

"Oh dear! Words spread ideas! We'd better regulate them, then!" That is so hilarious and creepy. You don't think that is treating the symptom? Forcing people to have only government-approved conversations is nothing anyone who fancies themselves a liberal should want any part of. The answer to bad speech is not less speech, but more speech.

I agree that times have changed, and the fact that rich people of colour benefit from affirmative action is quite stupid. Then again in the academic would scholarships are often given by merit, actual needs never being taken into account (so you can have a rich kid recieving a scholarship because he got good results, even though he's perfectly capable of paying it, and the money could've gone to help needier students). Sadly laws don't change as fast as scoiety does.

Also, it's not people on the left who divide people into groups and treat them as nothing more than a representative of said group rather than as an individual, but people who are racist/sexist/homophobic, and who view being part of that group being in itsef anegative trait (while people who are part of their own group are "superior" by default). When trying to prevent discrimination you have to take this int consideration.

Irrational speech (like racist rhetoric) has a more powerfuil psychological impact on people (especially when presenting arguments meant to incite fear). I've witnessed first hand how in a debate when one of the people is spweing irrational arguments that prey on people's emotions (especially fear) and the other is presenting rational arguments that actually make sense, the averege person (uneducated, or not educated enough), won't even take notice of the rational person's arguments.