James Wolcott, as ever

I've been a-wonderin' lately why we can't use the term "fascism"in American politics. It's a real word, after all, and it actually does apply to a certain collection of political desires, attitudes, methods, and policies. Hell, it's even disputed among fascism scholars whether fascism's a phenomenon of the left or of the right. I wish the anarchy folks in black during protest marches hadn't given it such an outlandish name, so that we could really apply it to where it actually fits without being chastised. In fact, some of the Bushniks might even wear the badge proudly. Let's bring back fascism!

Like the neocons who think he's the hunkiest, [Victor Davis] Hanson urges Bush to broaden the war on terror and put a major hurting on Iran and Syria and any other tyranny in the region thwarting American aims. But he also wants Bush to fight a two-front war.

"George Bush also should begin addressing his most venomous critics at home, by condemning their current extremism. He must explain to the nation how a radical, vicious Left has more or less gotten a free pass in its rhetoric of hate, and has now passed the limits of accepted debate."

This will no doubt pass the limit of accepted debate, but allow me to part with the following sentiment: Fuck you, Victor Dave. The limits of accepted debate have already been trampled into mud and splinters by Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Michael Savage, David Horowitz, Michelle Malkin, and the Swift Boaters, among others, about whose rhetorical extremes you've never made a peep. Moreover, this conflating of Howard Dean Democrats with Islamofascist hate speech is McCarthyism at its most unrefined. Truth is, Democrats have been remarkably watery and ineffectual when it comes to the Iraq war, as Arianna has lamented (and when a Greek goddess laments, it's like thunder from the mountaintop).

Hanson's use of the phrase "the limits of accepted debate"--he probably meant acceptable debate--has the authoritarian ring we've become used to on The O'Reilly Factor and other Fox news shows, where the word "treason" is thrown at every sharp note of dissent.

Not that I'm worried about an authoritarian crackdown. I think the Bushies are now too deep into the crackup stage to attempt and enforce a crackdown on opinion. The very vehemence of Hanson's report is a sign of impotent frustration. He's not getting his way and it seems less likely he's going to get his way, so he's hankering for a showdown that will at least provide theatrical catharsis.

"The American people, both pro and con, are more than ready for a great debate to settle these issues one way or another," Hanson intones....

UPDATE (10:36pm):

From the comments (slightly edited), since it's a good point:

Helmut, this is an excellent point about fascism. One of the pervading myths is that WWII eradicated European fascism. However, Spain had a fascist regime until 1975. Many on the right claim that the latter years of Franco's dictatorship were highly modernized, but even up until his death there were still executions and other forms of repression. Moreover, Spain has never openly confronted its fascist past. Unlike Germany where the Nazi party was outlawed, the Falange (the party affiliated with Spanish fascism) is alive and well. After Franco's death, the power structure of the political system continued into Spain's democratic era. Such politicians as Manuel Fraga and Juan Antonio Samaranch (yeah, the one that was the president of the International Olympic Committee) were huge figures in the Franco regime. So, I guess the point where I disagree with you is that it's hard to bring fascism back when it never went away.

"Pepe Carvalho"