Fed Up With Ignorant Use of the Term "Fascist"

Fed Up With Ignorant Use of the Term "Fascist"
by Tim Hanline

These days, we see many people recklessly throwing around the term “fascist” to accuse others, but does anybody really know what this term means any more?

The following editorial is yet another example of ignorance of this term …

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060819/NEWS/608190302/1005/SPORTS0106

“Unfortunately, if one wants to see the kind of extreme identity politics typical of fascism, there are examples nearby. Last month, in Pearl, Miss, the Rev. Flip Benham, leader of the anti-abortion group Operation Save America, burned a Quran, the Islamic holy book. Apparently, the intention was to demonstrate that Islam is one of several practices ‘detestable to the Lord.'

“After the Nazis came to power in Germany, one of the first things they did was to grab all the books they didn't like and burn them.“

“Cary McMullen is religion editor for The Ledger in Lakeland, Fla. He can be reached at cary.mcmullen@theledger.com.”

A fascist, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is one who advocates fascism, which is a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader. This system includes severe economic and social regimentation and forcible suppression of opposition.

Perhaps the most memorable example of a fascist government is NAZI Germany. NAZI stands for “National Socialist,” a fact that liberals would want you to forget, as liberals are strong proponents of socialism.

When Rev. Flip Benham burned a Koran last month in Jackson, MS, the epithet of choice leveled toward him was the term “fascist,” but was Flip Benham acting in a way becoming a fascist?

Fascism exalts nation above the individual, but in this age of murdering unborn children to promote the prosperity of a nation, as liberals would contend, Flip is more concerned about the individual, the unborn child, than the nation. (Indeed the very survival of our nation depends greatly on how we treat the weakest among us, including unborn children.) Liberals, on the other hand, could not care less about the individual, especially unborn children, and are obsessed with promoting “the public good” at the individual's expense. Furthermore, they force individuals such as you and me to fund their “public projects” with the tax money that we could use to feed our own families.

Fascism stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, but Flip stands on the Bible, which commands believers to rescue the oppressed and plead on behalf of those who are going to be slaughtered. Liberals, on the other hand, rub elbows with oppressors such as Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong-il, dictators with extensive histories of human rights abuses.

Fascism is implemented by forcible suppression of opposition, but Flip has advocated Jesus Christ and rebuked those who would use carnal weapons of war to win Christ's cause . Liberals, specifically socialists and communists, depend on the use of force to compel their chained, gagged, and disarmed citizens (or victims) to perform service for the “public good.”

Fascism is funded by severe economic and social regimentation, but Flip advocates Jesus Christ who has sternly commanded that “thou shalt not steal,” a concept that can only be implemented in a free market economic system. Liberals, however, scoff at a free market system and prefer the controls of socialism (or fascism) to create a false sense of prosperity, which is the equivalent of stealing from Peter to pay Paul , so to speak.

Fascists, including those of Nazi Germany and modern “Neo-Nazi” groups, hate Jews, but Flip stands strong on the Bible, which proclaims boldly, “salvation is of the Jews” ( John 4:22 ). Liberals, on the other hand, have routinely sided with the enemies of Israel , specifically Hezbollah, even going so far as to doctor photographs of the destruction in Lebanon to move public opinion against Israel .

So, the next time you hear the term “fascist” thrown around, remember the true definition of this term, and it will soon become apparent that those who use this term to accuse others are often themselves the strongest advocates of its tenets.