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Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning
Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning


Editorial Reviews:

โ€�Fascists, โ€� โ€�Brownshirts,โ€� โ€�jackbooted stormtroopersโ€�โ€”such are the insults typically hurled at conservatives by their liberal opponents. Calling someone a fascist is the fastest way to shut them up, defining their views as beyond the political pale. But who are the real fascists in our midst?

Liberal Fascism offers a startling new perspective on the theories and practices that define fascist politics. Replacing conveniently manufactured myths with surprising and enlightening research, Jonah Goldberg reminds us that the original fascists were really on the left, and that liberals from Woodrow Wilson to FDR to Hillary Clinton have advocated policies and principles remarkably similar to those of Hitler's National Socialism and Mussolini's Fascism.

Contrary to what most people think, the Nazis were ardent socialists (hence the term โ€�National socialismโ€�). They believed in free health care and guaranteed jobs. They confiscated inherited wealth and spent vast sums on public education. They purged the church from public policy, promoted a new form of pagan spirituality, and inserted the authority of the state into every nook and cranny of daily life. The Nazis declared war on smoking, supported abortion, euthanasia, and gun control. They loathed the free market, provided generous pensions for the elderly, and maintained a strict racial quota system in their universitiesโ€”where campus speech codes were all the rage. The Nazis led the world in organic farming and alternative medicine. Hitler was a strict vegetarian, and Himmler was an animal rights activist.

Do these striking parallels mean that todayโ€�s liberals are genocidal maniacs, intent on conquering the world and imposing a new racial order? Not at all. Yet it is hard to deny that modern progressivism and classical fascism shared the same intellectual roots. We often forget, for example, that Mussolini and Hitler had many admirers in the United States. W.E.B. Du Bois was inspired by Hitler's Germany, and Irving Berlin praised Mussolini in song. Many fascist tenets were espoused by American progressives like John Dewey and Woodrow Wilson, and FDR incorporated fascist policies in the New Deal.

Fascism was an international movement that appeared in different forms in different countries, depending on the vagaries of national culture and temperament. In Germany, fascism appeared as genocidal racist nationalism. In America, it took a โ€�friendlier,โ€� more liberal form. The modern heirs of this โ€�friendly fascistโ€� tradition include the New York Times, the Democratic Party, the Ivy League professoriate, and the liberals of Hollywood. The quintessential Liberal Fascist isn't an SS storm trooper; it is a female grade school teacher with an education degree from Brown or Swarthmore.

These assertions may sound strange to modern ears, but that is because we have forgotten what fascism is. In this angry, funny, smart, contentious book, Jonah Goldberg turns our preconceptions inside out and shows us the true meaning of Liberal Fascism.


Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: DON'T ORGANIZE ME
Comment: Of all the books I've read since I've been writing reviews and reading others on Amazon, this book has had the most profound effect upon my thinking and my political affiliations.

THIS BOOK SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING FOR EVERY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL'S (PUBLIC AND PRIVATE) AMERICAN HISTORY CLASS IN THE USA.

I mean every single word I say here.

I love writer's who make me think, love when I can tell they've done much soul searching and thinking themselves. Doesn't surprise me at all that he's a jew. I wouldn't have touched this book ten years ago knowing that he writes articles regularly for the National Review, a decidedly rightist publication. Very early on in this book, he made me think of two words very carefully: N A T I O N A L S O C I A L I S M.

"N A T I O N A L S O C I A L I S M"-What does it mean? Does it conjure anything resembling the republican ideals espoused by people like Alexander Hamilton??? Absolutely, absolutely not.

The symbol most associated with fascism is that of the bundle of sticks tied so closely that there is no space between them. An axe head is attached to the bundle, conjuring up utility, work, but also a threat. I have so many pages bookmarked in this book. I've been trying to find one I remember reading, but can't, where he talks of democratic ideals and if you wouldn't go along with the program, well-get out of the way. (You will never be fooled again after reading this book). Goldberg provides evidence that this last century began upon nationalistic, populist, fascist foundations most evident within democratic ranks as early as WOODROW WILSON! Yes, it is really shocking what you'll find here within. I have a more realistic appraisal of FDR now. You can tell when you've read a book that is well researched and carefully reasoned. It very definitely is thought provoking.

My book is a library book, overdue, and would love to have it on hand at all times. Would love a subscription to National Review. Needless to say, a deep and long lasting impression, this book has made upon me. It's time the American Heritage dictionary rewrote their definition of fascism. Goldberg effectively argues that the public's perception of fascism being a right wing phenomenon stems more from the extreme far left's, i.e. communism's, categorization of it. Fascism's association with the military and business and therefore the American Republican party is misguided. That the American left, most evident today in the far left Democratic party, has far more in common with Mussolini's not so racist brand of fascism will become abundantly clear upon reading this book.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK BE READ. GET A COPY SOMEHOW.


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