Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly.
He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
11 Comments
on October 22, 2007 at 8:39 pm
I was born here, raised here, was a Boy Scout here yet I am contemplating the collective benefits to all humanity of the end of the United States of America.
Current survialist plans include
Off the grid homestead in the middle of nowhere
Sneaking back into Germany
Tacking up the Apocalyptic horse.
Fascism is what George Bush has wrought in the United States. It is plundering the Constitutionm, the commonweal and the government for the benefit of corporate wealth. It is privatizing public works for the purpose of enhancing private wealth and power. Hitchins is correct about the original use of the term “islamofascism.” But I think the more correct term for fundamentalist Muslims might be Islamonazism just as the correct etiology for our home grown Christian terrorits is slaveholder, KKK’er, Dixiecrat, Republican.
Look at most elements in comparison … anti-muslim paranoia and religious right fanatici.
… dictatorships used religious appeals in order to stay in power.
… movements are based on a cult of murderous violence that exalts death and destruction and despises the life of the mind.
… both have a strong commitment to sexual repression–especially to the repression of any sexual “deviance”–and to its counterparts the subordination of the female and contempt for the feminine.
the only possible explanation for hitchen’s screed is that he must have fallen off the wagon again. this is elliptical even for him.
since mussolini’s explanation of fascism is often trotted out as the most definitive, and oft times described as corporatism, in modern orwellian news speak, perhaps it would help to review what benito actually wrote in 1932.
In 1932 Mussolini wrote (with the help of Giovanni Gentile) an entry for the Italian Encyclopedia on the definition of fascism.
…The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State. The conception of the Liberal State is not that of a directing force, guiding the play and development, both material and spiritual, of a collective body, but merely a force limited to the function of recording results: on the other hand, the Fascist State is itself conscious and has itself a will and a personality — thus it may be called the “ethic” State….
…The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question cannot be the individual, but the State alone….
given that definition,and the obvious mis-application of a state like sovereignty to an organization like AQ, or and individual like OBL, l’d have to say christopher has his head lodged.
furthermore, if any state fits this definition, it is surely the us today.
They’re hosting it on Penn’s campus as well. Maybe you want to come by and see Little Ricky speak on Wednesday as the keynote speaker for the College Republicans here? 😛
Muslims are indeed being singled out.
The point isn’t that someone somewhere in some obscure book has once dared use the phrase “JudeoNazism” – the point is that the same fellows who trot out “Islamofascism Week” would never, ever in a million years also trot out an “JudeoFascism Week” or “Evangelo-Fascism Week.” That’s where the double standard is, and Hitchens is quite intentionally overlooking it.
We live in a society in which bigotry against Muslims is accepted. Sure, bigotry against Jews and others exists – but is considered to be a bad thing. Bigotry against Muslims, however, is still acceptable. Just look at Hollywood. How many times have you seen an Arab character portrayed as the hero and romantic figure? Now compare that number to the the number times they’re portrayed as terrorists.
I was born here, raised here, was a Boy Scout here yet I am contemplating the collective benefits to all humanity of the end of the United States of America.
Current survialist plans include
Off the grid homestead in the middle of nowhere
Sneaking back into Germany
Tacking up the Apocalyptic horse.
what does an apocalyptic horse eat?
Judgement Day hay.
Fascism is what George Bush has wrought in the United States. It is plundering the Constitutionm, the commonweal and the government for the benefit of corporate wealth. It is privatizing public works for the purpose of enhancing private wealth and power. Hitchins is correct about the original use of the term “islamofascism.” But I think the more correct term for fundamentalist Muslims might be Islamonazism just as the correct etiology for our home grown Christian terrorits is slaveholder, KKK’er, Dixiecrat, Republican.
.
Could be DC or GB. Bushism is fascism.
Look at most elements in comparison … anti-muslim paranoia and religious right fanatici.
… dictatorships used religious appeals in order to stay in power.
… movements are based on a cult of murderous violence that exalts death and destruction and despises the life of the mind.
… both have a strong commitment to sexual repression–especially to the repression of any sexual “deviance”–and to its counterparts the subordination of the female and contempt for the feminine.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."David Horowitz is speaking tonight on so-called Islamofascism.
UW-Madison decided to give him a forum. What a bunch of maroons.
I’m going to see one of the Little Rock Nine at Edgewood College on Friday to clear my head.
Gitmo him up, along with the rest of ’em.
No light of day, and a constant barrage of rap. Barry him when he’s nice.
There may be hope for him, but I doubt it.
the only possible explanation for hitchen’s screed is that he must have fallen off the wagon again. this is elliptical even for him.
since mussolini’s explanation of fascism is often trotted out as the most definitive, and oft times described as corporatism, in modern orwellian news speak, perhaps it would help to review what benito actually wrote in 1932.
from the Modern History Sourcebook:
given that definition,and the obvious mis-application of a state like sovereignty to an organization like AQ, or and individual like OBL, l’d have to say christopher has his head lodged.
furthermore, if any state fits this definition, it is surely the us today.
l’m outta here, later.
lTMF’sA
I try not to think of Christopher Hitchens, if at all possible.
They’re hosting it on Penn’s campus as well. Maybe you want to come by and see Little Ricky speak on Wednesday as the keynote speaker for the College Republicans here? 😛
Muslims are indeed being singled out.
The point isn’t that someone somewhere in some obscure book has once dared use the phrase “JudeoNazism” – the point is that the same fellows who trot out “Islamofascism Week” would never, ever in a million years also trot out an “JudeoFascism Week” or “Evangelo-Fascism Week.” That’s where the double standard is, and Hitchens is quite intentionally overlooking it.
We live in a society in which bigotry against Muslims is accepted. Sure, bigotry against Jews and others exists – but is considered to be a bad thing. Bigotry against Muslims, however, is still acceptable. Just look at Hollywood. How many times have you seen an Arab character portrayed as the hero and romantic figure? Now compare that number to the the number times they’re portrayed as terrorists.