The darker side of liberalism

The left - liberals, progressives, "social activists" - I prefer the latter two terms because modern "liberals" have changed the meaning of the word to imply social activism (libertarians are liberal in the classic sense). Whatever we want to call them, the "vocal left" is used to getting its own way by lobbing derogatory falsehoods at the other side...name-calling essentially.

"Nazi," "fascist"...these are two of the most popular insults lobbed at the conservative right but did you know that fascists and Nazis came from social activist/progressive ideology? I'm sure most of my readers have heard the blurbs of recent headlines referring to some halfwit saying Obama is a Nazi and didn't give it much though. But you should...

Jonah Goldberg traces the history of the progressive Democrat to the presidency of Woodrow Wilson (a president referred to as a "fascist dictator") in his book Liberal Fascism. Wilson famously screened D.W. Griffith's homage to the KKK, The Clansman, in the White House - he even invited the director to sit with him as he watched it. The movie, soon to be renamed The Birth of a Nation at the insistence of a close friend to the president, was the first ever shown in the White House.

The left would like everyone to forget that Democrat Wilson was extremely racist, and a progressive. He viewed the KKK as a great bastion of southern heritage that "sprung into existence...to protect the Southern country." Wilson's progressive policy created numerous limitations to market competition - the first of their kind. The Clayton Act of 1914, for example, established a tedious list of "unfair business practices" that formed the groundwork of the Federal Trade Commission that still exists today.

Wilson's shocking behavior didn't stop there...after entering World War I in 1917 - Wilson swiftly issued executive order 2594 that created the Committee on Public Information whose purpose was to influence public opinion in favor of the war. Chaired by George Creel, CPI quickly put out 1,400 posters and the press at the time cooperated to suppress news stories. In 1918 Wilson backed the Sedition Act which outlawed "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" in reference to the government. The act worked to jail some 175,000 Americans as political prisoners. Despite all these horrific acts, Wilson is often remembered as one of the greatest presidents in history.

Goldberg did not make up the term "liberal fascist." In fact, it was a progressive during the time of fascims's height that coined the term. Author H.G. Wells came up with the phrase as a way to revitalise liberalism in 1932 when it was thought the progressive movement was in decline. The fascism of Benito Mussolini was widely respected by the Hollywood crowd and intelligentsia of the time - Time even put Il Duce on the cover twice - once in 1923 and again 12 years later.

New Republic published numerous articles praising Mussolini as the ultimate progressive. Cole Porter's song "You're the Top" is a salute to the dictator - Irving Berlin penned a musical tribute as well. Mussolini had admiration for America at the time also - particularly for Woodrow Wilson.

Mussolini was a leftist with a strong contempt for Christianity and capitalism (sound familiar). He didn't hate Jews, however, that was strictly a belief of the National Socialist Party of Germany. The future "Great Leader" gained early support by supporting striking workers and attacking his former socialist rivals. Mussolini effectively combined nationalist pride with government control, just like Wilson did, and the result was fascism. After establishing dictatorial powers by murdering his adversaries, Il Duce established huge government projects that built bridges, drained swamps, and reduced unemployment - and the public adored him for it.

Comparing progressives to fascists is obvious - the term belongs to them. The Nazi comparison is there as well and not only because the political party contains the word "socialism." Nazis believed strongly in "social reform" policies that included a national health system, a smoking ban, publicly funded abortions - even their own version of affirmative action which included exterminating the Jews. Affirmative action for the Nazis meant eugenics or "racial purification" through selective breeding.

Its the left gone haywire and certainly a comparison that progressives will rail against - insisting that the Nazis were right-wing. But how could they be when they had such strong beliefs in a central, "social reforming" government? That is certainly not a political belief of the right and it never has been. I believe that the left has pegged the Nazis as rightist because of the militance of the group. But they did this without looking into where the Nazi party actually stood on political issues - many issues that the left agrees with to this day (except that part about exterminating Jews).

Wilson wasn't the only liberal fascist...I'll continue this topic at another time.