----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com> To: <lbo-talk at lists.panix.com> Sent: Tuesday, October 16, 2001 10:05 AM Subject: Re: Totalitarianism (was: "Clerical fascism")
> Chip Berlet wrote:
>
> >*** Virulent and unprincipled attacks on critics, including insults,
> >agent-baiting, threats by attorneys and defamation lawsuits.
>
> Sounds like a typical left-wing mailing list!
>
> Doug
Ha!
Too true. Of course I have been sued repeatedly by the LaRouchites who are arguably right-wing fascists and totalitarians.
On a more serious note, these are terms that can be abused and are currently being abused. I will continue to use the terms "fascism," "clerical fascism," and "totalitarianism" but with caution. I have already suggested to some leftist friends that right now they should only be used in a context where it is clear they are not used to justify the current "war," are not used to demonize Arabs and Muslims, and are differentiated from liberal and conservative misuse of the term in too broad a sense or as a propaganda device.
Chuck Grimes wrote:
>The problem with just about any somewhat systematic or rational
>terminology, is that if its internal logic can be manipulated, then it
>avails itself to propaganda, and be used by any side.
>While everybody is familiar with the idea
>that truth is the first casuality of war,
>many are less familiar with precisely how that
>casuality is achieved. There is lying of course.
>But another, and more effective way is to turn all discursive
>forms into means that obscure intelligibility.
>This is why I would urge you to somehow keep the intelligibility of
>your terminology and make the mis-use of it, an example of fascism.
I guess I am not abandoning the terms, just being careful to use them in context and with caution.
I agree with most of what you said, but the misuse of terminology is hardly unique to fascism or for that matter totalitarianism. So I don't think I see the current abuse of terms as an example of fascism. Propaganda can be used by ruling elites of all stripes as well as their elitist and populist opponents.
But when used with precision, these are all useful terms.
-Chip Berlet