On 8/16/05, jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> > John Thornton wrote: Listing political groups that oppose Bush as
> > possible terrorist groups and placing names of people who oppose Bush on
> > No-Fly lists is dangerously close to such behaviour. It isn't
> > "officially fascism" unless the head of the DLC is assassinated?
> >
> > 1) So if it's bad it's fascist. We can throw out all our other terms of
> > approbation and just it along with "Fascist!" Alexander of Macedon was
> > fascist. Macheath the highwayman was fascist. Colley Cibber wrote bad
> > poetry. He was a fascist. Everything except thou and I is fascist, and
> > sometimes I have doubts about you.
>
> BZZZZT. Wrong answer Carrol. In Jims many responses in this thread the below:
>
> (1) the idea that Bush is "fascist" is a false analogy. Unlike
> classical fascism (e.g., Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet), Bush is not
> stomping on an politically-active and class-conscious working class.
> Getting beyond classical fascism (as 1960s lefties often did), the
> word fascism gets very nebulous. [Jim Devine]
>
> is the first concrete example I am aware of of why he doesn't want to label Bush policies as fascist. If this is
> his only concrete reason to oppose the use of the term I listed examples to show why he is mistaken. He is
> then free to label Bush policies as fascist if he wants. If he posts other concerns that are not of a personal
> nature they can be dealt with as well. At no time did I imply that ONE example of similarities between Bush
> policies and fascism was all that was needed to equate the two. You are the only one to make that leap or
> to assume anyone else was attempting to do so.
> I have also already made it known that while I have concerns about the accuracy of the charge fascism
> when applied to Bush and his policies they are minor so stressing them is of little importance to me. Others
> who claim that the differences are overwhelming or the use of the term undermines the fight against the
> right however are of importance to me and I wish to have them demonstrated. As of yet this has not been
> done in any meaningful way.
>
> > 5) Let me repeat. Every time you call Bush a fascist you are weakening
> > us in the fight against totalitarianism in this nation, because the real
> > threats will come in a different form.
> >
> > Carrol
>
> Please demonstrate in real terms how the use of this term undermines the work of those who oppose Bush
> policies. As I have said repeatedly, I am certainly open to this idea but so far, other than a handful of
> people who just intuitively know it does, nothing has been posted. "I know it in my gut" doesn't count for
> much.
>
> John Thornton
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>
-- Jim Devine "Segui il tuo corso, e lascia dir le genti." (Go your own way and let people talk.) -- Karl, paraphrasing Dante.