Oddly this is the same tact Carrol took when posting. What is with people who want so badly to demonstrate they disgree with calling the US fascist that they keep stooping to this straw man nonsense? Where did I post anything that makes you think this is a response to either what I wrote or implied?
> One of the most
> frequent mistakes of amateur psychologists is to grab a list of symptoms
> listed in the current version DSM and "diagnose" mental disorders by finding
> these symptoms in people they know or perhaps in themselves. The mistake of
> such a "diagnosis" is to concentrate on a selection of symptoms without
> considering their intensity, coexistence with other symptoms, or
> probabilistic matching overall behavioral patterns - which is what trained
> psychologists do.
>
> The same can be said about "diagnosis" of fascism. The forms of political
> behavior found in decidedly fascist regimes can also be found in virtually
> any regime - the difference is that under fascist regime they are carried to
> an extreme. Therefore, to "diagnose" fascism it is not enough to identify
> the mere presence of a few elements of political behavior fund in fascist
> regimes but to identify broader clusters and intensity of such element that
> match those of known fascist regimes.
>
> Wojtek
And who gets to determine what level of extreme qualifies? You but not Charles? Carrol but not Moyers? Because I disagree with you consider that evidence that I have, in your words, failed to "consider their intensity, coexistence with other symptoms, or probabilistic matching overall behavioral patterns"? Is this a failing of Charles, Bill Moyers and myself or everyone who disagrees with you?
As I have stated repeatedly, I don't think the US and/or the Bush policies qualify as fascist for a few reasons but the lack of hyper-nationalism chiefly. I also don't quibble with people who want to use the term fascist since I think there does not exist some measurable point where policies suddenly become fascist where yesterday they were not. Yes it is a minor exageration to use the term but since I see no harm in a little inflammatory speech. I guess I'm not the keeper of the term fascist, destined to protect if from all minor misuses. I do have a problem when someone else decides they should function in that role however. If anyone can demonstrate any actual harm that occurs from Charles or Moyers or anyone else using the term I would turn cartwheels of joy after being allowed to read it.
So far I haven't turned any cartwheels at anything posted in this thread.
John Thornton