The post below once again drew a flurry of emails (I will never get why more people prefer to email then post in comments), two phone calls, and two hearty hand shakes of approval. Since the topic of who is more like Nazis, the right or the left, came up in comments, thanks to returning champ, just-dave, I thought I would present a quote from the book Teaching Social Studies in Middle and Secondary School by Candy Beal, Cheryl Mason Bolick and Peter H. Martorella.
As you read this quote, I would like you to chime in, in comments, as to who you think these words more accurately describe...liberals or conservatives, as defined by the current state of affairs in the United States.
Extreme patriotism and nationalism, however, can lead to the oppression of dissident minorities and hatred and distrust of other nations. These forces can create barriers to greater understanding across cultures and reduce the opportunities for people to to work together to achieve common goals. They can also create an exaggerated sense of superiority, as occurred in Nazi Germany. Additionally, in an era where an increasing number of nations possess nuclear weapons and unstable political leadership, excessive patriotism and nationalism can threaten the very existence of the world.
Now who does that sound like.....hmmm?
8 comments:
This quote sums up the modern conservative exactly. Dave, I read your post below...are you just tuning Mark up or do you really think that fascism is a product of leftist views?
Conservatives, hands down. Although the used to not be like this. What happened?
A small yet powerful portion of conservatives. But I would argue the "exaggerated sense of superiority" quite deftly defines a growing portion of the population that swings liberal.
Sadly, this quote defines conservatism in the year 2008. Dave, sorry to burst your bubble but liberals are nothing like fascists. Out of control bureaucrats who like to micro manage my life-yes, fascists like Hitler-no. That honor falls to men like Dick Cheney and George Bush.
I have watched my party has become this exact quote as well as intrude upon my life in a way I thought conservatives never would. It really makes me sick because it looks like the Democrats are going to see big gains this year and we all know that means continued government spending and red tape that will prohibit more than accomplish.
The continue reference to liberal fascism doesn't help out my side either as there is no factual or historical basis for it whatsoever.
Your paragraph of choice could no doubt describe conservatives…if you squint…and shake your head…and only look at a tiny minority of them..and exaggerate their values. Due to your lack of patriotism and embarrassment of your own country, your view is so skewed as to confuse simple patriotism with the worst the world has ever had to offer.
The original fascists, contrary to what most people think, were devoted socialists (hence the term “National Socialism”), and many of those policies and principles can be found in today’s liberal movement. The core uniting principle behind the national socialist and modern liberal movements is the totalitarian impulse; the philosophy of state control of decisions taking priority over individual freedoms. You seem to be searching for a correlation between conservatives & national socialism simply through the common ingredient of patriotism; and exaggerating the conservative viewpoint to suit your argument.
Liberals (here in particular) will argue that our current leadership is totalitarian though they must stretch to provide examples of actual lost liberties whilst the left’s impulse toward this can be readily cataloged. Let me provide some examples and see if you can name the liberal representative(s)/groups that have espoused actual legislation for it…
The Nazis opposed smoking, believed in free health care, provided generous pensions and guaranteed jobs
The Nazis led the world in organic farming and alternative medicine.
They purged the church from public policy while promoting a new form of pagan spirituality coupled with a general disregard for human life; from their support of abortion thru euthanasia.
The fascists advanced strict gun control policies with which to tame the populace.
They loathed the free market, nationalized industry and confiscated property and inherited wealth.
They spent vast sums on public education and maintained a strict racial quota system in their universities, where campus speech codes were strictly enforced.
In essence, for fascist/socialist society, the authority of the state is inserted into every aspect of daily life, i.e. they are collectivists and centralizers of power.
Fascism was not isolated to Germany & Italy; it was an international movement that appeared in different forms in different countries. In Germany, fascism appeared as genocidal racist nationalism whereas in America, it takes on a “friendlier,” more liberal form.
And despite my disdain for the left, I don’t believe that the left, here and now in America, could or would morph into the type of genocidal socialism that occurred Germany. To say such a thing would be on par with the loons that tout the ‘Nazism’ of George Bush and “DO” believe that the right would love to toss them in the gulag…which just happens to be about ¾ of your following here. No, I think the left is dangerous not in their want for concentration camps but in their willingness to kill our nation by slow, tiny moves and I’m not keen to go along for the ride. And since it does no good to try and reason with people of this persuasion (which is why I post here far less frequently), it is therapeutic to extend a little artistic license to my assertions against them. Tit for tat, so to speak.
JustDave is brining it heavy today. Dave, is there a way you could go back in time and screw my mom so you could be my dad?
"Due to your lack of patriotism and embarrassment of your own country, your view is so skewed as to confuse simple patriotism with the worst the world has ever had to offer."
It's not simple patriotism though, dave, it's jingoism. And manifest destiny. And that is what is similar to fascism. You are fooling yourself if you think it is a small minority. I'd estimate it is around 40 million people.
"They loathed the free market, nationalized industry and confiscated property and inherited wealth....in essence, for fascist/socialist society, the authority of the state is inserted into every aspect of daily life, i.e. they are collectivists and centralizers of power."
False. Please do your research because you are sounding like a fool. While it is true that communist countries and some socialist ones nationalize industry and loathe the free market, it is not true of fascism. They did nationalize some industries but private property was allowed and even encouraged.
While communist countries would assume total control and wholesale expropriation of the means of production, fascist countries do not. To quote the Labour Charter of 1927, promulgated by the Grand Council of Fascism:
Article 7: "The corporative State considers private initiative, in the field of production, as the most efficient and useful instrument of the Nation," then goes on to say in article 9 that: "State intervention in economic production may take place only where private initiative is lacking or is insufficient, or when are at stakes the political interest of the State. This intervention may take the form of control, encouragement or direct management."
Private Initiative and profit were always encouraged as well as a culture of self reliance. Sound like any group we know?
Fascism also employed Social Darwinism, encouraging the weeding out of the weak and promoting the superior individuals. I think you will agree that this is a view widely held by most conservatives who sneer at the wimpy liberals who try to help people....you know...like Christ would have.
In his 1936 book, Under The Axe of Fascism, Gaetano Silvmini argued that fascism makes taxpayers responsible to private enterprise, because "the State pays for the blunders of private enterprise... Profit is private and individual. Loss is public and social."
Again, I would submit, dave, Who does that sound more like?
The irony of your last paragraph is that is exactly what the people you are support are doing..although they are doing it a lot faster than one tiny bit at at time.
But how about we take a closer look ...a more defined look at fascism. And then we can see if we have to squint.
Private Initiative and profit were always encouraged as well as a culture of self reliance. Sound like any group we know?
M, your reading miscomprehension is truly incomprehensible.
Initiative and profit in service to the State. That is hardly a culture of self-reliance, and no it doesn't sound like the Bush admin.
Your usual complaint about U.S. capitalism is the service provided by the state to corporations. If you can't see the inversion of principle there, you are utterly blind.
...conservatives who sneer at the wimpy liberals who try to help people....you know...like Christ would have.
If you choose to live a Christ-like life, that is up to you. I remind you of the great Christian apologist C.S. Lewis' words on the tyranny of moral busy-bodies.
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