Fighting Words: More on "Islamo-Fascism"...

Check out some articles on the "Islamo-Fascism" neologism:

• An outstanding column by Thom Hartmann on American Fascism, which quotes former VP Henry Wallace:

  "They claim to be super-patriots, but they would destroy every liberty guaranteed by the Constitution. They demand free enterprise, but are the spokesmen for monopoly and vested interest. Their final objective toward which all their deceit is directed is to capture political power so that, using the power of the state and the power of the market simultaneously, they may keep the common man in eternal subjection."

  (Incidentally, Hartmann and Randi Rhodes recently did voice ads for my pals at Not a Number that are running on Air America 1090AM in Seattle.)


• Robert Parry, who argues that "the reality behind Bush's grim vision is the emergence of an American totalitarianism where objectionable thought will be repressed and dissent will be equated with treason." He backs it up with this excellent point:

  But the problem with Bush’s history lesson is that wiping out some future Lenin or Hitler would require killing or imprisoning anyone who wrote about political change in a way that rulers considered objectionable or threatening at that time. While “predictive assassination” might eliminate a Lenin or a Hitler, it also might kill a Mandela or a Jefferson. What Bush appears to be advocating is the end of free speech and free thought, or at least the regulation and punishment of speech and thought that he disdains.



• More good blog posts and articles from John Dean, Ken Silverstein and Katha Pollitt on the right's problematic use of the "Islamo-Fascism" term.


• Seattle congressman Jim McDermott predicts Republicans will spend the next 30 days trying to scare the hell out of us in a desperate effort to stay in power. Probably a good bet.

More soon on military commissions and torture, and on the remarkable backstory to the Hamdan case that initially got me fired up to do this week's 'toon...