Reply #56: An excellent, thought-provoking post. Thank you. Could I ask

[Wordie]

that you also take a look at something I posted in the "Frame the Debate" DU group, entitled "Fascist? ...or Falangist?" which discusses the issue from a slightly different perspective. The post was based on some postings of James MacLean, who has some interesting things to say about whether the US is truely heading for "fascism" (as comparisons with the Nazis imply), or instead is heading toward what is more accurately called falangism. He points out that there are ways in which the the trends within the US differ significantly from the conditions found in regimes heading toward fascism, and further that comparisons with the Nazis often defeat the point that is trying to be made, just because the Nazis were so extreme, that many of those who need convincing of a impending threat cannot at all see a similarity. I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Here is part of what I wrote:
I have noticed that one of the problems that DUers sometimes have in communicating to others about the threats from RWers, seems to originate in the limitations of the language we have with which to discuss them. I think that descriptions of the Bush administration as "fascist," for instance, are bound to fall on deaf ears, because they seem so over-the-top. When the term "fascist" is used, the first group that comes to mind for the average American is the Nazis of Germany. A quick mental comparison of the current administration's policies with those of the Nazis leaves the administration looking lily white, so the term "fascist" is quickly dismissed, as being too extreme to apply to them. No communication there...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=252&topic_id=1529&mesg_id=1529

The point of this post is not to criticize yours - so much of what you identify as problems are undeniably true - but to open up new areas of discussion.