Islamic fundamentalist groups compete at the national level, but Islamic fundamentalism is a transnational movement inherently opposed to the pseudo-nationalism necessary for fascism.
3. Cultural fascism is based on a reaction against science, modernity, the arts and intellectualism. It distorts science to accomplish political aims. Cultural fascism always includes strong doses of homophobia.
In the US, for every person with legitimate objections to immigration (objections based on public policy), there must be three people objecting to it based on race, and for them "illegal" becomes a euphemism for "Mexican." Xenophobia is basic to cultural fascism.
Cultural fascism, in the West, tends towards anti-Semitism. For now, American anti-Semitism has an anti-Arab face. In linguistics and ethnology, the term "Semitic" includes "Arabic" and "Arabs." A Marriam-Webster definition of "Semite" is clear: "A member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs."
Thus, when neo-con pundits, politicians and even the President employ the term "Islamo-Fascist" they are being anti-Semitic.
Middle Eastern and Islamic movements can be reactionary, but these are reactions to external powers and not to the core dimensions of their own societies, which remain traditional.
So the economic, political and cultural prerequisites of fascism do not exist in the Middle East - but they do exist in the United States. Our post-WWII, Information Age neo-fascism is much like the inter-war classical fascism but softer, lighter, friendlier. Today, instead of marching, we ritually demonstrate our political will on touch-screen pads, a ceremony organized by Party-backed corporations with secret software on private servers.
It's a race: Will the future look like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, where a "dictatorship without tears" is founded upon psychotropic drugs, false religion and biological-sexual engineering? Or will it be a world of brute force like George Orwell's 1984? "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever." It will be both: A Brave New World for those who conform and 1984 for those who don't. American fascism will both smile and grimace.
Neo-con pundits follow a clever strategy of deflection. They employ the term "Islamo-Fascism" when "theocracy" or "dictatorship" or "fundamentalist movement" would be more historically accurate. Why do they do this? Their political epithets are inspired by a subtle conditioning campaign.
Perhaps it's subconscious projection. "Projection," of course, is a defense mechanism that kicks when someone is threatened by, or afraid of, their own impulse. So they attribute these impulses to someone else. Do not be neo-conned. How can you help?
First, always replace the term "neo-conservatism" with "neo-fascism."
Second, always charge those who use the term "Islamo-fascism" with anti-Semitism (because Arabs - most of whom are Muslims - are technically "Semitic," too).
Third, remind people who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" that the term is historically inaccurate and that the main ingredients of classical fascism - 1) monopoly capitalism; 2) erosion of democracy; and 3) militant nationalism - are coming together in the United States like a Perfect Storm.
It's not fair to perform a vivisection of the Bush regime without pointing to what a healthier body politic might look like - a "post-crisis" body politic.
1) The restoration of the checks and balances, and limited government, of a democratic republic. This includes voter protections and a pencil-paper-box voting system.
2) The restoration of foreign relations to open diplomacy (as envisioned by the Founders) - to the power of persuasion - unless attacked, upon which military force will be restricted to the forces demonstrably responsible. This means no foreign aid, no weapons sales, no forward bases, and no committing political adultery by dividing loyalties between the people of the United States and any foreign power. The American people can express their solidarity with people around the world with short-term disaster relief.
3. Cultural fascism is based on a reaction against science, modernity, the arts and intellectualism. It distorts science to accomplish political aims. Cultural fascism always includes strong doses of homophobia.
In the US, for every person with legitimate objections to immigration (objections based on public policy), there must be three people objecting to it based on race, and for them "illegal" becomes a euphemism for "Mexican." Xenophobia is basic to cultural fascism.
Cultural fascism, in the West, tends towards anti-Semitism. For now, American anti-Semitism has an anti-Arab face. In linguistics and ethnology, the term "Semitic" includes "Arabic" and "Arabs." A Marriam-Webster definition of "Semite" is clear: "A member of any of a number of peoples of ancient southwestern Asia including the Akkadians, Phoenicians, Hebrews, and Arabs."
Middle Eastern and Islamic movements can be reactionary, but these are reactions to external powers and not to the core dimensions of their own societies, which remain traditional.
So the economic, political and cultural prerequisites of fascism do not exist in the Middle East - but they do exist in the United States. Our post-WWII, Information Age neo-fascism is much like the inter-war classical fascism but softer, lighter, friendlier. Today, instead of marching, we ritually demonstrate our political will on touch-screen pads, a ceremony organized by Party-backed corporations with secret software on private servers.
It's a race: Will the future look like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, where a "dictatorship without tears" is founded upon psychotropic drugs, false religion and biological-sexual engineering? Or will it be a world of brute force like George Orwell's 1984? "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face - forever." It will be both: A Brave New World for those who conform and 1984 for those who don't. American fascism will both smile and grimace.
Neo-con pundits follow a clever strategy of deflection. They employ the term "Islamo-Fascism" when "theocracy" or "dictatorship" or "fundamentalist movement" would be more historically accurate. Why do they do this? Their political epithets are inspired by a subtle conditioning campaign.
Perhaps it's subconscious projection. "Projection," of course, is a defense mechanism that kicks when someone is threatened by, or afraid of, their own impulse. So they attribute these impulses to someone else. Do not be neo-conned. How can you help?
First, always replace the term "neo-conservatism" with "neo-fascism."
Second, always charge those who use the term "Islamo-fascism" with anti-Semitism (because Arabs - most of whom are Muslims - are technically "Semitic," too).
Third, remind people who use the term "Islamo-Fascism" that the term is historically inaccurate and that the main ingredients of classical fascism - 1) monopoly capitalism; 2) erosion of democracy; and 3) militant nationalism - are coming together in the United States like a Perfect Storm.
It's not fair to perform a vivisection of the Bush regime without pointing to what a healthier body politic might look like - a "post-crisis" body politic.
1) The restoration of the checks and balances, and limited government, of a democratic republic. This includes voter protections and a pencil-paper-box voting system.
2) The restoration of foreign relations to open diplomacy (as envisioned by the Founders) - to the power of persuasion - unless attacked, upon which military force will be restricted to the forces demonstrably responsible. This means no foreign aid, no weapons sales, no forward bases, and no committing political adultery by dividing loyalties between the people of the United States and any foreign power. The American people can express their solidarity with people around the world with short-term disaster relief.
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