8-10-06 Islamic Fascists
Today's big news is the foiled plot to blow up airliners headed to America. In a press conference around mid-day, President Bush said, "...this nation is at war with Islamic fascists."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060810/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_9
Well, let's just look up the definition of "fascist". At answers.com, I found it defined as, 1) an advocate or adherent of fascism, and 2) a reactionary or dictatorial person. That was an interesting discovery for me, since I wasn't cognizant of the second definition having crept into popular usage. So, if Bush used the term to describe terrorists as fascists in the sense of the second definition, especially "reactionary", maybe he's really up on the latest definitions of such words, and I'm not. He is, after all, the leader of the free world.
But what's "fascism"? Again, I use answers.com only because it's right here at my fingertips. Compare these definitions to other sources if you're in doubt. According my reference, fascism also has two definitions, number one having two parts as well, with those being, A) A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism. Or it can be, B) A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government. Then definition number 2 is, "Oppressive, dictatorial control."
If you look into the history behind this particular ideology called fascism, you don't have to do much reading to recognize the similarities between fascist states of the past and the Bush administration's agenda. War crimes, media manipulation, aiding and abetting the power elite in raping the US treasury, bullying... sheesh! The list could go on and on!
Bush apparently has no limit to his power of propaganda bullshit, I would have to say. Having this man refering to ANYONE as a "fascist" is a whole lot more absurd than refering to the people who hijacked the planes on 9/11 as people who "hate freedom". And I thought this man's absurdity had reached new depths of "newspeak" back then!
There are no doubt Islamic extremists who hate the American government, and because the government in America is elected by the people of America, there are no doubt many more who hate Americans for letting this government get away with its terrorist activities around the world over the past three decades. Terrorism, by the way, is using violence or threat of violence to coerce people and/or governments into complying with demands, adhering to some ideology, etc. It's all about inspiring fear, and this administration has been capitalising on fear ever since 9/11.
On the other side of the issue, however, you won't ever see me arguing any sympathy for the "poor terrorists" that blow themselves up, take down buildings with bombs, etc. These guys are pretty sick. But they are no different than the terrorists who killed and maimed, blew things up, and used this extremist form of fanatic behavior against the British rule over Ireland. Those Irish terrorists were just as sick.
But the odd thing about the Irish terrorism was that a lot of money supporting them came out of places like Boston and New York. Using the same logic that Bush used to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, the British government would have been equally justified in invading New York and Boston, bombing the shit out of those cities, and turning THEM into piles of rubble!
Of course, the Irish terrorists were Christians.... and nobody refered to them as fascists.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060810/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_9
Well, let's just look up the definition of "fascist". At answers.com, I found it defined as, 1) an advocate or adherent of fascism, and 2) a reactionary or dictatorial person. That was an interesting discovery for me, since I wasn't cognizant of the second definition having crept into popular usage. So, if Bush used the term to describe terrorists as fascists in the sense of the second definition, especially "reactionary", maybe he's really up on the latest definitions of such words, and I'm not. He is, after all, the leader of the free world.
But what's "fascism"? Again, I use answers.com only because it's right here at my fingertips. Compare these definitions to other sources if you're in doubt. According my reference, fascism also has two definitions, number one having two parts as well, with those being, A) A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism. Or it can be, B) A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government. Then definition number 2 is, "Oppressive, dictatorial control."
If you look into the history behind this particular ideology called fascism, you don't have to do much reading to recognize the similarities between fascist states of the past and the Bush administration's agenda. War crimes, media manipulation, aiding and abetting the power elite in raping the US treasury, bullying... sheesh! The list could go on and on!
Bush apparently has no limit to his power of propaganda bullshit, I would have to say. Having this man refering to ANYONE as a "fascist" is a whole lot more absurd than refering to the people who hijacked the planes on 9/11 as people who "hate freedom". And I thought this man's absurdity had reached new depths of "newspeak" back then!
There are no doubt Islamic extremists who hate the American government, and because the government in America is elected by the people of America, there are no doubt many more who hate Americans for letting this government get away with its terrorist activities around the world over the past three decades. Terrorism, by the way, is using violence or threat of violence to coerce people and/or governments into complying with demands, adhering to some ideology, etc. It's all about inspiring fear, and this administration has been capitalising on fear ever since 9/11.
On the other side of the issue, however, you won't ever see me arguing any sympathy for the "poor terrorists" that blow themselves up, take down buildings with bombs, etc. These guys are pretty sick. But they are no different than the terrorists who killed and maimed, blew things up, and used this extremist form of fanatic behavior against the British rule over Ireland. Those Irish terrorists were just as sick.
But the odd thing about the Irish terrorism was that a lot of money supporting them came out of places like Boston and New York. Using the same logic that Bush used to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, the British government would have been equally justified in invading New York and Boston, bombing the shit out of those cities, and turning THEM into piles of rubble!
Of course, the Irish terrorists were Christians.... and nobody refered to them as fascists.
posted by Jeff Barnard at 4:23 PM
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