There’s probably a more extensive post to be made on the subject, but I’m afraid I lack the time to tear down the intellectual edifice of Dave Budge’s latest theme that Democrats (Progressives) are Fascists. I know that the Internet is full of some pretty stupid things, but to look at the American political system today and identify a connection between Democrats (Progressives) and Fascists has to be the most inane, facile, absurd observation this site of the Free Republic.
It’s interesting that now, after the disappearance of the Communist threat, conservatives are beginning to adopt this new approach, at the same time the Republican Party launched the single largest consolidation of executive power in American history.
Read a book for God’s sake.
Article by Don Pogreba
Don is from Shelby, MT (Go Coyotes!) and has lived in Montana his whole life. He teaches English and Debate in Helena, MT, and does most of his writing far too late at night.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Listen Pogie, if you’re going to quote me you better do it right. I’ve called progressives fascists and I’ve asked Mark T if he thinks what Waxman is doing is fascist. But instead of calling me stupid why don’t you enter the argument about what the definition of fascism is – since I have never heard you call anyone on the left side of the isle for calling Republicans fascists.
It smacks of a double standard to me.
And you need to study your history too. That might let you describe how Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus and FDR’s move against the Supreme Court look in comparison.
Better yet, perhaps you might wait for my post on American fascism before you continue on your closed minded judgmental romp. It just might surprise you and vex your preconceptions of what I’m talking about.
I’m a Utahn with Idaho roots, and not the Dave Budge up there in Montana. I’ve just heard about the Montana Dave Budge when some folks asked me if I kept a conservative blog. Well, no, I don’t.
Both sides of isle sling labels like “fascist” and “Nazi”, etc. in an attempt to affix these connections in the minds of voters. It is ridiculous, but omnipresent in politics. Regrettably, it just steers us off course and keeps us from reaching real solutions to our problems.
I’ve heard a lot of progressives call conservatives and Republicans fascists and Nazis. I’ve heard a lot of conservatives call Progressives and Democrats socialists, which seems a lot less offensive, but perhaps is even more damaging because it’s not as easy to reject. We need to move past the hyperbole and focus on solutions. If we could sit down together and focus on coming up with solutions without constantly positioning ourselves for the next election, we would make tremendous progress.
Goodness, my apologies, sir. I equate Democrats with progressives, an enormous error in judgment. It ranks right up their with demonizing a political movement as fascist.
You really mean to suggest that Lincoln, who was President during THE CIVIL WAR, and FDR, who tried to pack the Supreme Court, gave more power the the executive branch than this President, who used the WTC attacks in a way that would have embarrassed the Reichstag arsonists? FDR, who taxed corporations rather than giving them control of government? FDR, who halted fascism in the world? FDR, who preserved Western democracy when it would have been much easier to choose another direction?
Great arguments.
It turns out that I am going to remain close minded. This is an idiotic premise. To have the sack to suggest that the Progressive movement, which has been fighting to protect civil rights and restrain American militarism, is somehow equivalent to Mussolini’s fascisti movement, is so ridiculous that it only deserves mockery.
I’m sure that you will come to the conclusion that this close-mindedness is the result of my fascist tendencies, but it turns out, it’s just because you are a so ridiculously wrong. I, for one, am tired of right wing attempts to smear liberals with labels like this. When did we switch from being communists to fascists, by the way?
And, seriously, read that book. Or any credible book about the fascist movement. Don’t point to vague statements of aspiration, but read a book by an historian or political scientist about the subject. It’ll be a lot less embarrassing.
Just as I thought, you’re unwilling to hear the argument and have a predetermined opinion of what I might say. Let’s call that open-mindedness. Keep it up. The world is flat.
Yep. I am unwilling to consider the possibility that modern American progressivism is fascist. You caught me.
But seriously, read a book. The one I linked is great.
It has all the feel in the world to me of an attempt to redefine the word ‘fascist’ and apply it to the opposite of its real meanings. You get the negatives for free.
…how many total signs of fascism are there, buddy? Because those two were not particularly convincing, nor were they unique to fascism. In fact, here’s some fun:
Signs of becoming The Soviet Union:
3. Increasing domestic surveillance
6. Antipathy towards radical Islam.
Look! I just proved that Bush is trying to make the US into the new USSR!
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