Okay, then what kind of evidence or logic would convince you that the United States is not currently on the road to fascism (or already there)?
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CB: I haven't said that the U.S. is on the road to fascism or is fully fascist. I have said that the war on Iraq is a fascistic war, as were the wars on Viet Nam and Korea. So, an immediate end of the war on Iraq. A declaration that the wars on Iraq,Viet Nam and Korea were crimes against peace, and prosecution of leaders who perpetrated them. Pay reparations to those countries. Total repeal of the Patriot Act, . Outlaw the KKK. These would be definite indicators of a drastic reduction of the fascist climate or fascist danger.
In my usage, it isn't such an either/or thing. Either we are in fascism or we are not. Specific actions or projects can be fascistic without a fullblown fascist state. McCarthyism was fascistic without fullblown fascism. I would say that Jim Crow was fully fascist in the South, and close in the North.
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To convince me that fascism is here, I'd have to see large numbers --thousands -- of US citizens being treated in the same way that the prisoners in Guantanamo are being treated (incarcerated without legalbasis, not charged, tortured).
^^^^^ CB; By the way, the prison at Guantanamo is another part of the current fascist climate.
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I might be in jail myself. The ACLU wouldn't be allowed to appeal. You wouldn't see members of the leading (vanguard?) party complaining about restrictions on civil liberties.
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CB: Those would be indicators that things are more fully fascist. But the absence of those does not mean that the war on Iraq is not fascist.
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Carrol says: >repression of _all_ kinds must be resisted<
That's right. I'm against repression even when it's not fascist. It doesn't have to be labelled "fascist" to be opposed.
^^^^^ CB; That's sort of a red herring. Nowhere have I said the only repression that should be resisted is fascist repression.
On the other hand, what sense does it make to speak of repression that is the equivalent to fascist but is democratic in form, as Carrol did ? What are some examples of state sponsored heavy repression that are not worthy of being called fascist ?
How does calling some heavy repression fascist do any harm to resisting it? What's an example ?