Fascism according to il Gingriche

From a discussion on Prop 8. Newt Gingrich in all his nuthood

GINGRICH: Look, I think there is a gay and secular fascism in this country that wants to impose its will on the rest of us, is prepared to use violence, to use harassment. I think it is prepared to use the government if it can get control of it. I think that it is a very dangerous threat to anybody who believes in traditional religion. And I think if you believe in historic Christianity, you have to confront the fact. And, frank -- for that matter, if you believe in the historic version of Islam or the historic version of Judaism, you have to confront the reality that these secular extremists are determined to impose on you acceptance of a series of values that are antithetical, they're the opposite, of what you're taught in Sunday school.

The rightwing, of course, excels at projection. And it's not just the talking heads. Many rightwingers I come in contact with on a daily basis actually think this way and it's quite amazing and difficult to rebut because they have zero in the way of sources and are deeply prejudiced already--and--perhaps the most important point--they will fail to admit either of these two items to themselves.

Indeed, few, if any, would call themselves 'right wingers'. But they will happily take up the cross of Christianity and rail against 'secularism', 'gays' and abortion. They may also, as Newt, practice projection. Suggesting that progressives are using 'fascistic' techniques to advance their causes or that 'secularism' is fascist, for example.

Let's dig out the ole Wikipedia entry and see if we can make some sense of il Gingriche.

[Fascism] is derived from the Italian word fascio, which means "bundle" or "union", and from the Latin word fasces. The fasces, which consisted of a bundle of rods often tied around an axe, were an ancient Roman symbol of the authority of the civic magistrates; they were carried by his Lictors and could be used for corporal and capital punishment at his command.

Helpful picture below:




















One of the great themes of Fascism's illustrious rise and rather disgraceful fall is 'strength thru unity'. The rods of the fasces serve as a visual reinforcement of this idea; but the key is unity--no deviation from the central command or idea. In a word, message discipline. Top down, authoritarian command: the fasces were carried around by Roman magistrates as a symbol of their unyielding authority.

We use the fasces in our country as well. For whatever reason, it's become much less discredited than the Swastika after World War II. For example, you can see a fasces in the Oval Office, above the door leading to the exterior walkway, and above the corresponding door on the opposite wall, which leads to the President's private office.

Fascism, however, is decidedly less popular than the fasces symbol it appropriated. Why? Well according to our handy wiki entry we find that...

[Fascism] seeks to form a mass movement of militants who are willing to engage in violence against their political opponents and groups or individuals that the movement deems to be enemies. Fascism opposes the political ideologies of communism, liberalism and conservatism as well as political concepts and systems such as democracy, individualism, materialism, pacifism, and pluralism.

They oppose such things as pluralism, individualism, liberalism of course, because these things are the opposite of 'unifying' elements in a society. Liberalism, for example, does not seek to unify society around a central figure or culture, but rather to allow individual deviations from the norm to exists in a happy proximity of cohabitation. This at times can produce tension, to be sure. But the over arching premise of liberalism and more generally, the separation of the church and the state which liberalism strongly advocates for obvious reasons(presumably what Gingrich refers to with the term 'secularism') is all about lesssening the strictures of a given dominant culture to allow for differences across cultural and demographic boundaries. The implementation of this vision is liberalism, but the opposite of this vision could very well lead to a fascistic state.

Allowing gays the same rights as straights to marry if they like is hardly fascist. It is liberal. Fundamentally, Gingrich is simply talking nonsense, not just at an etymological level, however. His assertion that 'secularists' are willing to act in concert violently is factually inaccurate and a lie. The term itself if it is to have any meaning, at all, defines individuals who are clearly in favor of the rule of law OVER the rule of religious pieties of one denomination or another. It is the basis for our constitution, afterall.

Being a doctor of history, one would hope he might know that.
But worse than ignorance, is his obvious fear mongering and ratcheting up of the demogagic rhetoric. No one has threatened a Christian in this country who supported the hateful proposition 8 with anything more serious than a lawsuit and a boycott . I'm one of them. And last I checked, I left my fasces at the Republican party's door.