[lit-ideas] Re: [Marquand - not the novelist
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:32:31 -0700
An observation posted at
http://www.lawrencehelm.com/2010/08/hippy-meat-in-memphis-stew.html
Lawrence
-----Original Message-----
From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of Eric
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2010 2:31 PM
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Marquand - not the novelist
On 8/15/2010 11:22 AM, Mike Geary wrote:
> The U,S. often denies entry of foreign artists or performers because
> they don't approve of something their country has said or done. It's not
only fascistic, it's stupid.
From my point of view it seems that Mike was employing the old hippie
definition of "fascist," (roughly "oppressive authority for its own sake or
authority robotically enforcing something with which one disagrees") in
which case he's right.
Lawrence was using a political-theory based definition of fascist*, (roughly
"authoritarian hierarchical government opposing democracy or secular
liberalism") in which case he's right.
And sure, governments do really dumb stuff. The US impounded and destroyed
Zimmermann's piano when he tried to begin his US tour. Yet all governments
do really dumb stuff by their very nature. They overreact.
They goof. They never let K get to the Castle. That's an argument for a weak
central government ... part of that perpetually unresolved dispute between
the centralized and the decentralized.
_____
MW-11th defines fascism as "a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as
that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual
and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a
dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible
suppression of opposition."
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