Comments | ramik: He Can't Be All Four. Word.

ramik

He Can't Be All Four. Word.

Aug 26, 2009 12:27

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Comments 9

russia_moore August 27 2009, 03:17:47 UTC

A point I've been trying to explain to people for a while now. You CAN'T be a fascist and a communist at the same time! It doesn't work that way!

arisrabkin August 27 2009, 06:57:59 UTC

This isn't actually obvious. Most fascists and most communists, historically, have simply been thugs who used whatever rhetorical tropes were convenient. And it's easy to imagine people who blend the rhetoric, or go from one style to the other. Consider Belorussian strongman Lukashenko. Former communist running a vaguely fascist regime today.

russia_moore August 27 2009, 21:48:37 UTC

Very true. But when people argue that his ideology is that of a fascist and communist (which is the argument I hear most--he doesn't strike too many sane people as a thug, no matter his politics), it simply doesn't work.

I've also been told that fascism is actually extreme liberalism, as is communism. Apparently there is no such thing as extreme conservatism?

arisrabkin August 27 2009, 22:04:52 UTC

As one of my feminist friends pointed out to me last month, you can say "You're not a racist, but this thing you said was racist, or this belief you hold is racist, or this action is racist." Why can't we talk the same about about "fascist" or "socialist"? It's manifestly possible for an individual to simultaneously believe "fascist" and "communist" doctrines. I am not claiming Obama is such a person, just that one can assert he is without self-contradiction ( ... )

Thread 5

fowlor August 27 2009, 03:38:37 UTC

They forgot the whole "Muslim who's Pastor is a racist!" angle. But yeah, the conservatives need to get their name calling focused.

russia_moore August 27 2009, 05:05:03 UTC

I just realized the symbols on this poster basically sum up my studies this semester :P Less so the Crescent and Star, but that'll be modern Germany and immigrants, I suppose.

ramik August 27 2009, 05:09:48 UTC

You totally need to figure out a way to write a paper on Obama for each of them.

russia_moore August 27 2009, 05:17:58 UTC

Meh, I don't do current events. Besides, I'm pretty sure I'd be preaching to the choir with these professors ;)

I do get to do one 7-8 page paper on whatever I want at the end of my European history course. All the other writing assignments will be based on our readings. So I'd have to be sneaky, like how my freshman english paper on advertising was actually about sexism in the military.