Wikipedia:

"The word fascism has come to mean any system of government resembling Mussolini's, that

    * exalts nation and sometimes race above the individual,
    * uses violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition,
    * engages in severe economic and social regimentation.
    * engages in corporatism."


On this scale, Hitler scores FIVE. Hussein scores FIVE. Bush, Johnson, and Blair score ZERO.

How do I describe George Bush? As a person of average abilities who was elected President by dint of his father's name and influence, his own talents and "people skills," and teams of shrewd speechwriters and PR people. He doesn't come from a poor or lower middle-class background like Jackson, Lincoln, Nixon, or Clinton, nor is he a kind of distant aristocrat like Washington or FDR. He is a political conservative, an ideology that, in the United States, transcends parties, though since the sixties by far the larger number of conservatives have become the Republicans.

Eighteenth-century conservatism was wedded to custom in nearly all things. In the twentieth century it has become considerably more "liberal." Bush, for example, favors some form of the Social Security System, a concept denounced as "socialism" by conservatives of the 1930s and later. While opposing gay marriage he does not, for example, urge the enforcement of anti-sodomy laws which remain on the books in many states. He opposes abortion, but does not claim that abortion doctors or their patients are guilty of murder. He supports women in the military, reform in education, and dozens of other policies that are so commonly accepted that nobody thinks of them any more as liberal/conservative issues.

Bush is well to the left of most of our pre-Wilsonian presidents, who by modern standards look like far right do-nothings rather than "conservatives." (But still not fascists.)

Bush has sworn to "uphold the Constitution," and despite gray areas (like the rights of presumed terrorists) that will be decided by the courts, he has done so. He is ultimately responsible for the prevention of further terrorist attacks on the US, and whatever you may think of his specific policies, he is obviously taking this responsibility seriously. Conservatives tend to be more religious than liberals, and some of Bush's positions (as on abortion and stem-cell research) are based on his religious beliefs. However, he has never urged Congress, for example, to grant Christians or religionists of any kind any special civic status, and he's not conducting Mideast policy according to Revelation. In other words, Church and State remain separate.

If you still think Bush is a "fascist," just consider the sorts of things that a fascist leader would be doing right now. Like revoking the Bill of Rights, eliminating political opponents, abolishing labor unions, legislating compulsory military training, ending academic freedom, making sure that big business worked mainly to meet government "needs," declaring white supremacy, etc., etc.

The PBS program will be a needed reminder of what fascism is really like.