Amos, I think you did a lot of good work in outlining your thread.

"You don't attack fascism by attacking or demonizing any of its
constituent parts."

I agree with this. Attacking and demonizing are as you say two of facism's elements.

" This is what the Left hasn't understood."

Here, I would take exception. Many in the Left have understood and focus on the issues without throwing brickbats. We don't need to demonize the Left as a monolithic view.

"Corporations are not villainous things, nor are cops on the beat or our own kinsmen who make up the military."

They are only as good as the people that serve these things. Many of these people are capable of both villainy and virtue.

" Our churches are clear forces for good."

Not necessarilly. Many of the churches of the fundamentalist Right-wing are analogous to those who are deemed "terrorist" in Islam. The "Church" is again not monolithic and can be subjected to both villainy and virtue.


" But all institutions are subject to the temptations to advance their wealth and influence at the expense of ordinary people, even while declaring themselves to be the people's protector and friend. We've seen it all before, both here and abroad. "

And yet there is a current of philosophic thought that calls this "human nature" and I would argue with that because what makes us truly human is our bonding in society which is counter to these selfish interests. I think America is a great country precisely because we as Americans will not accept corporate tyrants or politicians that don't show their mettle through their behavior. I think protests are a form of American behavior that I would consider patriotic. Someone still has to have the passion for the idealism of our country.

I believe that "facism" can be a tendency as well as a totalitarian regime. There are facist tendencies in our country that continually need to be thwarted. Ashcroft's view of the Patriot Act in my opinion is a facist tendency that runs counter to the principles of civil rights.

Frank