Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Epithet 'fascist'

[Hari Kumar]

After my recommended remedial course of 'quick reading' of U.Eco - I am 
frankly no wiser. F - I guess. Not that I at any rate, expected much 
wisdom from Eco, but at least I tried! I thought the first respondent (I 
am sorry I forget now who replied) & is copied below was correct, & I 
appreciated his/her point number (2) especially. But in any case, the 
original attack seems to me to be much 'sour grapes' at the WWP. Again I 
am not even a sypathiser of them, indeed I have had major polemical 
differences with them. But the epithet appeared not only groundless, but 
sad. Indeed symptomatic of much of the left - unable to join in any UF 
of significant duration. I am not resident in the heart-land, & possibly 
have not seen the practical reasons, which might just - conceivably - 
allow one to understand the original epithet-thrower. Have for instance, 
the WWP violated democratic norms of functioning wihtin any UF set-up? 
Have they rpevented speakers/candidates/opposing viewpoints within a UF? 
If so that is important to highlight, although again, whether that is 
"fascist shit" needs to be substantied in my view. Mr Eco's 
over-wrought-'intellectualism' brings no especial insights to me I 
regret. In passing, I would like to register my agreement with jks 
regarding right of legal defence. Thanks, Hari


>>>> Trust this question is not percieved as inflmmatory. I am not in any 
>>>> way linked to either WW or IAC. But I am certainly curious as to what 
>>>> actiosn/deeds warrant the epithet "fascist shits". What do you mean?
>>>> Hari Kumar.
>>    
>>
>>
>> I suggest that the word "fascist" be limited to groups that: 1) have a 
>> Fuehrerprinzip; 2) profess oposition to both capitalism and socialism; 
>> 3) posit a quasi-mystical union between the Party, the Leader and the 
>> People. That word is WAY too overused; fascism is a fuzzy but 
>> more-or-less definite historical and political phenomenon.
>  
>

I'd also suggest a quick reading of Umberto Eco's essay on ur-Fascism, 
which does a nice job of characterizing strains in Fascism itself.

http://www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_blackshirt.html
http://archive.8m.net/eco.htm
http://www.16beavergroup.org/mtarchive/archives/000663.php
for three varying versions.