The shortened Liberal Fascism

Readers might be getting a little tired of my focus on Liberal Fascism but such is the nature of blogs.  There has a been a great deal of pixels spilled over this book and the left side of the blogosphere has been particularly up in arms about the very existence of such a book.

For those out there that still might have an open mind, I think Jonah captured the impetus for the book very well over at the NRO blog about the book:

Correcting arguably the biggest and most slanderous spin of the 20th century – that fascism and national socialism are somehow related to classical liberalism — strikes me as a pretty worthwhile subject for a
book.

How is it that every allegedly racist sin committed by any Republican going back 50 years is relevant to today’s politics (so says Paul Krugman et al), but the eugenic and fascistic foundation of American progressivism – and hence American liberalism – amounts to intellectually unserious and uninteresting “trivia”?

Why is it relevant? One answer might be that because people such as yourself are
constantly looking in the wrong direction for the fascist peril, you won’t spot it when it arrives.

I will get into the details when I post my review, but I think this gets to the heart of Jonah’s project.  Those on the left love to label their opponents as fascists so why not explore the origins of this controversial political philosophy and movement; and note its historical connection to American progressives?  Why not force the left to defend some of its history for once?

You may not agree with Jonah’s argument(s) or his style but I think if the left could get over the outrage that liberal and fascism would be in any way connected, they might find the book interesting.

I also continue to find it annoying that many simply refuse to get past the title or cover art.  It is as if you have to forgo marketing and controversy if your argument is to be taken seriously.  Only dry and boring academic tomes – that cost a fortune and will never sell more than a few hundred copies –  will be considered worthy of engagement.  If the title or cover art are a little too provocative suddenly your allowed to ignore the book’s thesis or insult its author without having read it.

This is particularly rich given that a former New York Times foreign correspondent recently wrote a book explicitly calling Christian conservatives fascist.

a large chunk of the responses to the book are simple not worth even reading.  They are merely insults and non sequiters dressed up as cutting criticism.  This is the part of the web that I really could do without – all the vulgarity, name calling, and general lack of civility.  It happens across the political spectrum and I find it tiresome and boring.

Kevin Holtsberry
I work in communications and public affairs. I try to squeeze in as much reading as I can while still spending time with my wife and two kids (and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Michigan Wolverines during football season).

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