There is a new book out right now by Jonah Goldberg called “Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning.” I’m sure all you liberals out there are hyperventilating due to anger at the implication of this title, and you probably want to stop reading so as not to encounter anything that could challenge your myopic worldview- but bear with me. For decades the American left has associated conservatives with fascism, and we see this frequently today: “George W. Bush is a fascist dictator and has turned America into Nazi Germany,” so the accusation goes. Unfortunately for today’s liberals, however, the roots of their own movement lie in fascist principles.
There is much confusion over the true meaning of fascism, but as Goldberg notes, it is really a type of revolutionary socialism based government management and control of private ownership. Additionally, fascism is not inherently racist; this aspect of Nazi fascism should therefore be understood as unique to Germany. Mussolini’s Italian fascism is a better model, but it is important to note that both of these examples are far more extreme than American fascism. Goldberg is not implying that today’s liberals are murderous dictators like Hitler or Mussolini; rather, he is demonstrating the parallels between the ideologies. As Goldberg points out, the Nazi-party platform “demanded guaranteed jobs, the ‘abolition of incomes unearned by work,’ the nationalization of all large corporations and trusts, profit-sharing in all major industries, expanded old-age insurance, a government takeover of big department stores (think Wal-Mart), the prohibition of child labor, and countless other ‘progressive’ reforms.” Sound familiar?
The Progressive Era, the New Deal and the 1960s are Goldberg’s main instances of fascist episodes in America. Take the youth movement of the 1960s, for example. It was defined by, among other things, a “hatred of conventional morality and traditional authority, the adoration of the ‘the street’ and ‘people power,’ the justification of crime as political rebellion, and the denigration of the rule of law as a form of oppression.” These features also happen to be some of the hallmarks of fascism. Or look at the New Deal: Waldo Frank, who at one point was the contributing editor of The New Republic said in 1934 that Roosevelt’s National Recovery Administration “is the beginning of American Fascism.” The Nazis even expressed admiration for Roosevelt’s program.
It is important to reemphasize that Goldberg is not accusing today’s liberals of trying to form a totalitarian state with a secret police and concentration camps. They are not evil, like Mussolini and Hitler, but they are committed to an “ever-expanding” state. If this little summary of the book does not have you convinced, a much better and more thorough summary written by Goldberg himself can be found in the January 28th issue of the National Review. Or, you could just buy the book. Either way, I encourage you to think twice the next time you are tempted to accuse George W. Bush, or any other conservative for that matter, of being a fascist. In the words of Steven F. Hayward, “look who’s fascist now?”
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As a liberal, I find it interesting that you assume I am “hyperventilating” at the implications of the title or at the fact that you would “challenge my myopic world view.” I am reading a blog written by the College Republicans - I expect you to challenge my views and I expect to grow and mold my opinions from that challenge. I also expect you to respect my intelligence enough to understand that I understand I am reading a Republican blog and to consider the fact that maybe the reason I am reading a blog I could assume I would disagree with is to expand my world-view.
Furthermore, when you assume my opinion on every matter and assume I radically claim George W. Bush is a fascist, you’re essentializing my identity and the identity of most other liberals out there. I do not, and most people do not think George Bush is a fascist. He is a patriotic man who happens to be misguided. Like most Americans, I disagree with his policy choices but do not criticize his intent. I think a significant part of the political problem today is that a few radicals from each party make radical claims about the other party. Moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats find they have more in common with each other than with the radicals in their parties. While you say you are not claiming that liberals are “evil,” despite your careful comparison of philosophy, using the term fascist currently connotes evil and also “other.” Instead of relying on the rhetorical power of the word “Nazi” to make the argument that prohibition of child labor laws, why don’t you just make a straight argument? If your argument is simply “liberalism” is similar to fascism, that doesn’t mean much and the way you borrow from connotations would be really unwarranted. Fascism is a government style, so is conservative ideology.
Neither liberals nor conservatives are the enemy. Democrats and Republicans are patriotic Americans who want to do what is best for their country - they simply disagree about what the best policies are. When you attack people and political parties, you’re attacking Americans and American governmental structures. Political parties are not enemies, poor policies are. If you want to do something to help your country, stick to critiquing something that’s important.
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