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Go Home 'Liberal Fascism' Author Annoyed About Fascist Name-Calling

JONATHAN CHAIT NOVEMBER 9, 2010

'Liberal Fascism' Author Annoyed About Fascist Name-Calling

BY ISAAC CHOTINER

[Guest post by Isaac Chotiner]

Jonah Goldberg, author of the book Liberal Fascism, on C-Span this weekend:

One of the great failures of my book is that it has popularized the use of 'fascism' as an epithet. And one of the things I was hoping to do, and I failed miserably, is shut down the use of the word 'fascist' as an epithet. Instead it's become bipartisan. And I don't like it. I don't think it's all that helpful. It might help my books sales, but that's not what I had hoped to do.

Poor Goldberg. I hope the big sales numbers make him feel better.

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14 comments

Goldberg is a seminal member of the conservative movement. And I am referring to the stain on that dress, without which we wouldn't know who he was.

- Nusholtz

November 9, 2010 at 5:02pm

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I was proud that no progressives stooped to that level of name-calling with the 43rd President. It really demonstrated a keen consciousness of history.

- AlSmith80

November 9, 2010 at 5:12pm

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The man is either disingenuous or foolish.

- zardoz67

November 9, 2010 at 5:14pm

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A very serious, thoughtful, argument that has never been made in such detail or with such care.

- subterran

November 9, 2010 at 5:29pm

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the word "fascist" has become "bipartisan"? What, exactly, is that supposed to mean? That both sides are using it? The only thing I see that's unfortunate is that the republicans are rabidly accusing Obama of being a fascist, while they themselves behave more and more like fascists.

- GSpinks

November 9, 2010 at 5:48pm

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Obama is apparently, for the GOP base (you know, that word is beginning to make sense!), both a fascist and a socialist. That is, he is a combination of Joseph Goebbels and Bernie Sanders.

- ironyroad

November 9, 2010 at 5:51pm

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Or possibly Franco and Gandhi?

- ironyroad

November 9, 2010 at 6:09pm

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No, Norman Thomas and Ante Pavelic.

- liberal reformer

November 9, 2010 at 7:46pm

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AlSmith80: "I was proud that no progressives stooped to that level of name-calling with the 43rd President. It really demonstrated a keen consciousness of history." Ah yes, the old "because some people one side did it, that means it's OK for the other side to do it" argument. (Sigh.)

- dsimon

November 10, 2010 at 1:49pm

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Ah yes, the old "because some people one side did it, that means it's OK for the other side to do it" argument. (Sigh.) That's not the argument. But if so called "progressives" complain that their chosen leader is called unjustifiably fascist then, one may wonder where these pure ethicists were when Bush was regularly being compared to Hitler. It's not about justifying Repbulicans' thoughtlessness. It is about the hypocrisy, or cluelessness of the camel who mocks other camels for having a hump.

- noga1

November 11, 2010 at 6:32pm

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I can't prove it but my impression was that the Bush-Hitler comparisons were a lot more the product of the loony fringe than the Obama=socialist=fascist=Hitler stuff is. And what's with the "so-called progressives" remark? I have always called myself . . . well, it doesn't matter now. Forget it. No, no, let's forget it. I said, let's For Get It!

- ironyroad

November 11, 2010 at 6:40pm

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Have any of the contributors to this blog ever bothered to read Goldberg's book?

- lance00002001

November 11, 2010 at 10:18pm

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noga1: "It's not about justifying Repbulicans' thoughtlessness. It is about the hypocrisy, or cluelessness of the camel who mocks other camels for having a hump." If that's the point, then the statement should criticize both Goldberg and those who used the epithet against Bush. But it doesn't. Instead, it only takes a sarcastic swipe against the latter. A statement holding both sides accountable should be at least be made more clearly.

- dsimon

November 12, 2010 at 12:23am

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Lance, I'm pretty sure Chotiner read "Liberal Fascism." Not sure about the other contributors to this blog. The TNR review of the book made me chortle: http://www.tnr.com/article/books/jackboots-and-whole-foods

- subterran

November 12, 2010 at 10:12am

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