We are not fighting "fascism"

8-15-2006 | self

[AdamSelene235]

I think we have moved the argument to a great deal of clarity by having Bush and Blair use the phrase "Islamofascism" in place of the "religion of peace" that was their mantra for so long

No we moved from Complete Denial to Groggy Imprecise Awareness. Next up, Homicidal Rage.

Have patience. It is progress.

You are right! It actually is progress. How pathetic is that? I was actually pleased and then annoyed to hear him say it.

People, we aren't fighting fascists and we aren't building friggin democracies.

Geez. Its been 5 damn years now.

[AdamSelene235]

P.S. His reputation will survive your disapproval." P.S.S. - Good. I was real concerned about that. Now I can sleep tonight.

Don't worry, get some sleep. Orwell's reputation will be just fine. Just don't start using the term Orwellian to describe anything and I think he will be OK.

[Natural Law]

memo to self - fascism is as fascism does.

[AdamSelene235]

I somewhat concur with your first paragraph mostly regarding the issue of economic controls, political "rent extraction", etc.

I'm very impressed that you've managed to find a religious world view that should effectively alienate you from pretty much 100% of the world's Christians, Muslims, Jews AND atheists. That's quite an achievement!

Happily, I belong to none of those groups.

[P.O.E.]

They're barbaric alright.

[Urbane_Guerilla]

memo to self - fascism is as fascism does.

Just curious ... where does this leave jihad? Does it do what it does? And if so, then why not call it what it is?

Here is what I do not understand.

Why are folks so passionate about calling islam and jihad fascist, when calling islam, islam, and jihad, jihad, is about as good as it gets?

Please explain the advantages to me.

[SpaceBar]

I guess it really doesn't matter anyway. George Bush today backed off his characterization of "islamic fascists" and called them "an extremist group of folks". I kid you not.

[muawiyah]

Islam and fascism have the same source ~ the Eastern Roman Empire. They developed the fascist form of government, far exceeding the pitiful efforts of the Caesars before them.

You do know who Mussolini was don't you?

Anyway, before Mussolini there was Rome, and the one we know most about was the Eastern Empire. That's the one the Moslems picked apart piece by piece over a 700 year period. While doing so they gradually absorbed the facist technique, method, principles, and ideology.

[Theresawithanh]

I would never use the word orwellian to describe anything. Did you know that when you change even a proper name into an adjective, you don't capitalize it?

[muawiyah]

Orwell was a commie ~ he's addressing an audience of leftwingnuts for whom "fascism" had a meaning totally divorced from its reality.

[muawiyah]

The US government has absolutely no resemblance to fascist forms except when it comes to abortionists and their running dog lackeys.

We have entirely too many fascist judges who like to see babies juggled on the ends of bayonets.

[Urbane_Guerilla]

The Outlaws are exactly like the Hell's Angels.

So, in fighting the Outlaws, why don't we just call them Hell's Outlaws?

After all, the Hell's Angels are better known and more readily identifiable.

[muawiyah]

Here, one way to translate "Mein Kampf" is, of course as "My struggle", or, "My jihad". Does that begin to clarify why we might prefer "Islamo-" to "Jihadi".

"Islamo-" has to do with the "flavor", and "jihad" is simply one of a number of techniques within the broad parameters of the "-ism".

[bruinbirdman]

"Why are the bulk of the forces fighting, and dying, on OUR side in the War on Jihadism, Muslim Afghanis, Pakistanis and Iraqis?"

Somebody has been listening to too much of MSM.

yitbos

[bruinbirdman]

GW says I slamafascist. Good enough for me. Who always wants to go around changing words?

yitbos

[elkfersupper]

We're fighting fascism in the United States.

We're fighting something that has yet to be named in the Middle East.

I cringe every time I hear "war on terror".

Terror and terrorism is a tactic, not an enemy.

[Myrddin]

I agree the rate of progress is pathetic. Iran is a critical hotspot right now. We've been staging for that one since 1991. We have significant assets in Iraq and Afghanistan. It's likely to be the U.S. and Israel that will neutralize Iran. Britain may participate if they don't develop an linguine spine from the internal muslim population. It's still a fairly fluid situation.

[Bonaparte]

Collaboration of the nazis and muslim leadership.

[Caipirabob]

Good post and the statement needs to be made again and again.

[jocon307]

The jihadis, the term you prefer, are quite fascistic. Esp. in their desire for the imposition of their sick Sharia law. You can call them jihadis, I use that term myself, but I would not discount entirely that jihad can be used as a term for "self-struggle", although I don't know enough about Islam to be sure that is accurate.

It is silly to say we are in a war against Islam, the Islamofacists abuse and murder of their brother and sister Muslims around the world demonstrates that. It may become a war agasint all of Islam, but we are not there yet.

I think Islamo-fascism describes them quite well. The Nazis were fascists, but they also had weird paganistic ideas, although I doubt the average German had much truck with that quasi-religious aspect of Nazism. But again, I really don't know for sure.

And the Muslims do not "worship" Mohammed, just as Roman Catholics do not "worship" the Virigin Mary or the Saints.