See below:
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From: lbo-talk-bounces at lbo-talk.org on behalf of Marvin Gandall Sent: Sat 6/11/2005 8:00 AM To: LBO-Talk Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] American Religion (Was Irrationality of the Masses)
Shane Mage wrote:
> Marvin Gandall wrote:
>
>>My impression is that the real religion of Americans is Americanism...
>
> "If fascism comes to America it will not be called fascism. It
> will be called Americanism." (Huey Long)
>
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Right, or at least the most extreme expression of Americanism, as fascism
was the most extreme expression of German and Italian nationalism.There is
already a very powerful American nationalism, but of course it isn't yet
fascist. When the neocons are seen as too "flaccid" by forces even further
to their right, which build private armies to violently suppress the
liberals and a rapidly-advancing movement further to the left, which take
power and replace the presidential-congressional-judicial system with
something much more centralized and even more virulent, American fascism
will have arrived.
MG
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I think the mass base for American fascism will not be the extreme right or the neonazis but probably a large theocratic social movement of politicized right-wing Christian evangelicals. But MOST American Christian evangelicals do not favor theocracy, much less theocratic fundamentalism or theocratic neofascism. So as good organizers we need to reach out to this large group of more moderate American Christian nationalists and argue with them respectfully about what is happening in this country.
Calling them stupid names or denouncing religion in general is not a good idea. And for those who care, it is a lousy way to try to build real democracy.
If the economy collapses, then a right-wing populist social movement of xenophobic nationalists led by Pat Buchanan or someone like him would be a fertile mass base for neofascism in the U.S.
-Chip Berlet
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