Flirting with Fascism: Neocon theorist Michael Ledeen

The American Conservative ^ | June 30, 2003 | John Laughland

[I8NY]

Flirting with Fascism

Neocon theorist Michael Ledeen draws more from Italian fascism than from the American Right.

By John Laughland

On the antiwar Right, it has been customary to attack the warmongering neoconservative clique for its Trotskyite origins. Certainly, the founding father of neoconservatism, Irving Kristol, wrote in 1983 that he was “proud” to have been a member of the Fourth International in 1940. Other future leading lights of the neocon movement were also initially Trotskyites, like James Burnham and Max Kampelman—the latter a conscientious objector during the war against Hitler, a status that Evron Kirkpatrick, husband of Jeane, used his influence to obtain for him. But there is at least one neoconservative commentator whose personal political odyssey began with a fascination not with Trotskyism, but instead with another famous political movement that grew up in the early decades of the 20th century: fascism. I refer to Michael Ledeen, leading neocon theoretician, expert on Machiavelli, holder of the Freedom Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, regular columnist for National Review—and the principal cheerleader today for an extension of the war on terror to include regime change in Iran.

[I8NY]

This is relevant again because of the evidence connecting Michael Ledeen to the Niger yellowcake memo and the case for war in Iraq. Scary stuff.

[tallhappy]

Relevant because of your idiocy.

[.cnI redruM]

Eek! Those fascist NeoCons. They're poisoning the wells! They're pissing in our cheerios! I think the modern definition of NeoCon is any particular conservative that an author has a personal grudge against.

[borkrules]

u R a nut.

[ravingnutter]

Mr. Cannistraro, I presume? 1984 indeed. Bite me.

[Clemenza]

If there's anyone who is a clerical fascist, it is Pat Buchanan and the Ultramontanists at Chronicles who seem to be pissed off that White Catholic Southerner Protectionists do not rule the world.

[ravingnutter]

I have absolutely no connection to the Niger documents, have never even seen them. I did not work on them, never handled them, know virtually nothing about them, don't think I ever wrote or said anything about the subject. I have left a voice mail for Cannistraro suggesting he should apologize and retract right away. I think you should get back to him and ask him if he didn't just make it up, or was repeating gossip. There can be no credible evidence for the claim, and you will not wish to be associated with it, I'm sure.

And you should also notice that you and Cannistraro have misspelled the acronym for the Italian Military Intelligence Service. It's SISMI not SISME. A good Italian like Cannistraro should at least know that!

Michael Ledeen

Source

[ravingnutter]

What...no reply?

[Howlin]

And you should also notice that you and Cannistraro have misspelled the acronym for the Italian Military Intelligence Service. It's SISMI not SISME.

Geez, they can't seem to get it straight, can they?

To: Howlin; churchillbuff

syme alert

61 posted on 10/26/2005 1:26:04 AM EDT by I8NY

[I8NY]

Sorry, out engaging in my non-cyberlife. Ledeen's response is very much on point and quite categorical. Let's let him off the hook on the Niger memo. I still can't square his doctrine of world revolution (Fascist or otherwise) with my idea of conservatism.

[I8NY]

LOL

[I8NY]

"If there's anyone who is a clerical fascist, it is Pat Buchanan and the Ultramontanists at Chronicles who seem to be pissed off that White Catholic Southerner Protectionists do not rule the world."

Well, there's a good bit of truth in that.