>R wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >If America were Fascist every American on this listerv would be dead or in
> > >a concentration camp.
> >
> > very likely. hell of a place to meet your internet friends isn't
> > it. Carrol, i'll be looking for you.
>
>Some or many of us might well end up dead
we're all going to end up dead sooner or later, carrol.
>or in a concentration camp --
>but that would not be evidence for the U.S. being fascist. It could
>easily just be an instance of the marvellous repressive power of
>capitalist democracy -- or it could be a quite new form of authoritarian
>state.
if we're dead or in a concentration camp, i for one will not split hairs.
i doubt there is such a thing as "capitalist democracy." (you were kidding, right?) capitalist, yes; democracy, no. isn't capitalist democracy one of those cold war fables?
if it's not american fascism, we are living through a rather novel, bizarre form of authoritarian state, and have been for over 50 years.
>This habit of using "fascism" as an all-purpose pejorative is
>worse than stupid -- it's dangerous.
i don't believe that many people think about fascism, carrol. one way or another. much less ghosts from the interwar period.
yet, you're quite right. muddled use of terminology can create confusion. in politics, there's enough confusion to begin with. to add to it would be quite dangerous.
R
>It will prevent our organizing
>about real authoritarian threats, not just ghosts from the inter-war
>period.
>
>Carrol