>But the simplistic notion that totalitarianism
>+ capitalism = fascism is an idea that has been pretty much rejected in
>the last 30 years of study of fascist movements and fascist states.
Well, I wasn't throwing around the term totalitarian but actually the more limited term dictatorial or authoritarian. And since you have quite living examples of people on this list who subscribe to such "simplistic" notions, who is the "we" in your group rejecting the definition?
>So I think it is justified to ask what books on fascism written in the
>past 30 years have you read? In doing this I am not disresepcting your
>PhD but asking you to defend you views. I don't have a degree, but write
>about fascism in a way that has gotten me invited to present papers at
>the International Sociological Association and the American Sociological
>Association, and several chapters in academic books and even one peer
>review journal.
Actually, you miss my point. I wasn't pulling my degree to besmirch your credentials to have an opinion- which are far better than mine from your active work - but to note my exasperation with exactly the kind of academic "in-group" social science definitions of reality that exclude broader social discourse. It may be true within some academic speciality such as "fascism" studies or whatnot, your statement may be true, but I tend not to read in such areas - although I usually find your writing interesting but I am usually reading it for its political analysis, not its academic meanings (and I say that as a compliment).
>So answer the question. What books on fascism written in the past 30
>years have you read? Then I can get a snese of what theoretical base
>you are building your arguments on.
Hmm...a range of books on 20th century socialism such as Sassoon's, Gramsci (sorry I don't think old books are useless), Habermas, Collier and Collier on latin american political formations, books on liberal corporatism like Katzenstein, a number of histories of Nazi Germany, and a range of other works that touch on fascism through broader economic, political or social analysis. Oh yeah, a bunch of the social psychology studies looking at authoritarian personalites.
Nothing that may count as proper analysis of fascism in your definition but plenty of stuff in my mind for me to have an opinion on the subject :)
-- Nathan Newman