Posted on 02/12/2008 7:13:05 PM PST by jazusamo
Those who put a high value on words may recoil at the title of Jonah Goldberg's new book, "Liberal Fascism." As a result, they may refuse to read it, which will be their loss — and a major loss.
Those who value substance over words, however, will find in this book a wealth of challenging insights, backed up by thorough research and brilliant analysis.
This is the sort of book that challenges the fundamental assumptions of its time — and which, for that reason, is likely to be shunned rather than criticized.
Because the word "fascist" is often thrown around loosely these days, as a general term of abuse, it is good that "Liberal Fascism" begins by discussing the real Fascism, introduced into Italy after the First World War by Benito Mussolini.
The Fascists were completely against individualism in general and especially against individualism in a free market economy. Their agenda included minimum wage laws, government restrictions on profit-making, progressive taxation of capital, and "rigidly secular" schools.
Unlike the Communists, the Fascists did not seek government ownership of the means of production. They just wanted the government to call the shots as to how businesses would be run.
They were for "industrial policy," long before liberals coined that phrase in the United States.
Indeed, the whole Fascist economic agenda bears a remarkable resemblance to what liberals would later advocate.
Moreover, during the 1920s "progressives" in the United States and Britain recognized the kinship of their ideas with those of Mussolini, who was widely lionized by the left.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
-—excellent book—
If you're reading this, you are.
( /liberal-think)
Man I love this guy.
He is always spot on!
His column is like a trumpet of sanity in an increasing insane world.
Thanks, r.
He nailed it again.
I’ve argued with liberals that presume because businesses and corporations support primarily Republicans, that proves that Republicans are fascist. Business is calling the shots and pulling the puppet strings of the legislators they buy. While this happens to some extent, they could not see that the increasing control of business by government was a more apt description of fascism.
Reducing the life and death control that legislators have over business and corporations back to the government’s constitutionally proscribed limits would go a long way towards getting dirty money out of politics and free businesses from burdensome regulation.
I’m reading it right now, but the book has to go back to the library tomorrow as someone else has requested it. I decided to buy my own copy so I can highlight some things as I read it.
Interesting that Sowell includes Franco among his list of Fascist dictators (who were, presumably, “on the left”), considering that many American-style conservatives, who condemn Hitler and Mussolini, take a very different view of Franco.
It bears repeating-
Government Control
Communist...Fascist...Socialist...Democrat....Moderate...Republican...Conservative...Libertarian
Communist...Fascist...Socialist...Democrat....Moderate...Republican...Conservative...Libertarian
You forgot one...
Communist...Fascist...Socialist...Democrat....Moderate...Republican...Conservative...Libertarian...Anarchist.
The Obama File Dont leave home without it.
Hmm, I don't think that is entirely accurate. A lot of businesses support liberal socialism when they think it will benefit them in particular. For example, some very important corporations are getting behind government run health care because they see it as reducing their own costs in that area.
Mark
IIRC, Franco was an avowed Fascist... In fact, weren't the fascists on one side of the Spanish Civil War?
Mark
Mark
Funny how that “Howdy Doody” Moron, Bill Mahar says that Islamo-Facists is incorrect, and that Facist is just for Corporate Goons....yet this article describes what Liberals in America have for an agenda...Facism.
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