Err, no. They were fascists. Fascists are not leftists, no matter how much Jonah Goldberg tries to contort the truth to the end of persuading you that they are.
Jonah Godbergs book Liberal Fascism did not exactly say any such thing though. Really, it did not even remotely state that the American left and fascism were ever synonymous, especially not now. The major difference he points out in no uncertain terms is that the American left is if anything anti-militaristic, whereas historic fascism is overty militaristic and is based in the power of the weaponry of the state.
His was a historical work. Even the title came from an historical quotation.
“The Left”? Sigh. The left of Castro, Pol Pot, and Stalin is not the same “Left” as the American Democratic party or even of European social democrats.
The second part is interesting. On which major points do the Democratic Party differ from the European Social democrtic parties? I followed Dennis Prager’s lead and have asked this question a few times without getting an answer that sticks.
Because an arbitrarily drawn spectrum puts Stalin on the left does not make a liberal similar to Stalin any more than the fact that Hitler was on the right means conservatives have something in common with Nazis. But why do I even bother trying?
Very true. I would not expect an American liberal to put up a defense of Stalin any more than Rich really ought to expect conservatives here, even the ultra right wing ones, (whoever they might be) to put up a defense of Mussolini or Hitler.
The only criticism of current liberal policy would be though that arguments on behalf of bigger government can lay the foundations of totalitarian governments of either a right wing or left wing variety. In reality, there isn’t much practical difference between living in a National Socialist state or a Soviet Socialist one. Big governments who control the minutiae of people’s lives differ in tweedle dunm tweedle dee fashion, and that is about it.
Pol Pot and Mussolini therefore are really strawmen. They have very little to do with the discussion, but are merely ways of avoiding drawing the inevitable conclusion.
And that is the leftism— of the American variety—now is trending toward intimidation and even outright violence. The OP story is is not an isolated random incident, but just yet another example of this trend that can be seen in everything from riots against the G10, through college students shouting down and threatening right wing speakers, to the pie-in-the-face phenomena, through union intimidation tactics, and gay activists going after individuals and businesses for voting in a disagreeable way, and on and on.
Conservatism on the other hand trends toward the Tea Party in the United States, where Glen Beck put on an affair of thousands upon thousands, and the streets are lefts at least as clean as they were before the crowds arrived.
I have so far seen no arguments to lead me to believe that even liberals and leftist here have any grounds for disagreement on this basic point.
