Lew Rockwell: A 20th-century scourge, fascism combines the corporate state, the welfare state, the police state, the national security state, religion, glorification of the military, aggressive war, hatred of the other, state control of the culture, education, and the media, political centralization, the leader principle, and the rhetoric of fear and belligerent nationalism.
Sounds more Texas GOP than Islam.
UPDATE - First use of the term: Malise Ruthven authored an article '"Construing Islam as a language" that appeared on 8 September 1990 in The Independent on 8 September 1990 in the Faith and Reason series.
Nevertheless there is what might be called a political problematic affecting the Muslim world. In contrast to the heirs of some other non-Western traditions, including Hinduism, Shintoism and Buddhism, Islamic societies seem to have found it particularly hard to institutionalise divergences politically: authoritarian government, not to say Islamo-fascism, is the rule rather than the exception from Morocco to Pakistan.Many others on the right claim it but usage cannot be traced back before 1999. A very poor term but seems to be used because it slanders the religion, governments and race.
2 comments:
Islamo-What?
I was wondering, who was the lexicogicographical genius that came up with the term "Islamo-fascism?" What an awkward mouthful. Aren't Bin Laden and his buddies just Islamic terrorists, or extremists, or fundamental...
That's the problem. Bush and Fox News don't want to refer to them as Islamic "fundamentalists." It would invite comparisons with US Christian fundamentalist preachers and Boy George supporters like Jerry Falwell, John Hagee and Pat Robertson.
Some of the comparisons about intolerance, incorrect and self-serving interpretations of Scripture, demonization of foes, and trying to impose a theocracy on nation states might become a little too close for comfort for Boy George. Of course for Americans you'd also have to add the extra term "greed" since the TV evangelists are as rich as Croesus.
Yes. Stay away from the word "fundamentalism" George, it might reflect back upon you.
Bush (or whoever is telling him what to say these days) needs to check the definition of fascism as related by Benito Mussolini, who knew a little something about it:
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power."
Bush, Cheney the Chevron oil tanker Condoleeza Rice -- and particularly this mob's junior partners-in-charge in Austin -- are the true fascists.
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