I agree and think that this is very important. In fact I think that the domestic political advantage was an even more important factor in the war on Iraq than anything else. With the war in Afghanistan over, folks were starting to refocus on the economy and other domestic issues. Instead, Bush got a Republican Senate, and very likely a second term also, unless the economy really does tank. This may not quite be fascism, but the War On Terror has clearly replaced the Cold War for keeping people in line ideologically and politically. Barkley Rosser ----- Original Message ----- From: "Doug Henwood" <dhenwood at panix.com> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org> Sent: Thursday, June 05, 2003 2:19 PM Subject: [lbo-talk] Re: 14 characteristics of fascism
> Jon Johanning wrote:
>
> >Most of the characteristics Britt lists are actually properties than
> >can be observed in any nation in a state of war.
>
> But that's partly the point - the Bush admin is trying to construct a
> master narrative of permanent war, and with some success. Newspaper
> references to him as "a wartime president" are routine. We're on a
> state of constant terror alert, gradations periodically and teasingly
> altered. The right to counsel is under attack, critical opinions are
> met with more than usual hostility, there's massive detention without
> charge, and there's talk of stripping people of their citizenship.
> Yet we're supposed to go on with "normal" life. I understand the
> risks of linguistic inflation, but this is not ordinary stuff.
>
> Doug
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