"Islamic Fascists"?
Neu Leonstein
11-12-2005, 00:52
I just had a look at the website of a person called "Ann Coulter", who is, unlike Michael Moore, not that well known outside the US.
Apparently for her message to sell, you need a certain type of audience. ;)
There I found a piece about the Iraqi Elections, with the usual "They all risked their life" and some sort of attack on a "liberal" (oooh, I hate America sometimes) media I've never had the pleasure to witness.
But this line made me wonder:
There were more than 100 attacks on polling stations by the "insurgents" (or "Islamic fascists," as authentic Americans call them).
Not that I could tell what an authentic American is (apparently an authentic America would be a one-party state), but the phrase "Islamic fascists" made me wonder.
It's not the first time I had people use this phrase to decribe Islamists and related extremists.
It's pretty obviously a wrong use of the word, so I wonder...who used it first?
And why do people use it still?
Some links explaining what Fascism is:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/mussolini-fascism.html
http://www.colby.edu/personal/r/rmscheck/GermanyE6.html
Facism is one of those words people use to describe anything they disaprove of.
Besides, it's easier for some Americans to generalise all insurgents as something. Makes them feel less guilty about things like arguing that torture should be used against them. They don't want to face the idea that it's possible that at least some of the insurgents are not the brutal baby killers they are portrayed as and will only target American soilders.
The Soviet Americas
11-12-2005, 01:44
Who cares what Ann Coulter has to say about anything? She was born out of a sewer and, unlike the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, she is full of bullshit because of it.
The Jovian Moons
11-12-2005, 01:47
They don't want to face the idea that it's possible that at least some of the insurgents are not the brutal baby killers they are portrayed as and will only target American soilders.
2,000 dead Americans
30,000 dead Iraqis
Who is getting attacked more? Come on you can do math...
Anarchic Christians
11-12-2005, 01:49
2,000 dead Americans
30,000 dead Iraqis
Who is getting attacked more? Come on you can do math...
'At least some'.
basic reading comprehension. You fail.
2,000 dead Americans
30,000 dead Iraqis
Who is getting attacked more? Come on you can do math...
So you are saying none of those Iraqi deaths were caused by the U.S Military? Come now, I know the army isn't the best trained in the world but surely you can have more confidence in them than that ;)
I'm not denying that at least a good proportion of the insurgents don't give a shit about other Iraqs, but it seems stupid to say that they are ALL like that. At least some, probably most, do actually care about their fellow country men and are focusing their attention against US forces. After all, it is always far far more difficult to attack military forces than civilian based ones, and so if all terroists didn't care who they attacked there wouldn't even be the 2000 dead. The distinction should be made between those that do care for the Iraqis and those that don't, when people talk about how all terroists are evil baby eaters they just loose all credibility in my eyes - things aren't all black and white, you need to see the shades of grey.
Bunnyducks
11-12-2005, 01:55
Strange... you sure it wasn't "islamo-fascists"?
Coulter is deranged enough to call them whatever... I know...
Pepe Dominguez
11-12-2005, 02:35
Strange... you sure it wasn't "islamo-fascists"?
Coulter is deranged enough to call them whatever... I know...
Yeah, the hyphenated one is the usual version of choice..
Neu Leonstein
11-12-2005, 07:18
Yeah, the hyphenated one is the usual version of choice..
Same thing.
So this is all just another war propaganda thing?
How disappointing - I've started to expect some sort of internal consistency from political statements. I probably have to stop that. :p
Avertide
11-12-2005, 07:42
You see, when people misuse a word enough, it takes on the new meaning they've assigned to it.
The Atlantian islands
11-12-2005, 08:11
Who cares what word someone uses for them. They are terrorists...lets not pussy foot around that. It disrespects the memory of those who were killed by them.
Neu Leonstein
11-12-2005, 08:15
Who cares what word someone uses for them. They are terrorists...lets not pussy foot around that. It disrespects the memory of those who were killed by them.
Trying to shut down debate, are you? :rolleyes:
Zexaland
11-12-2005, 08:34
You see, when people misuse a word enough, it takes on the new meaning they've assigned to it.
Or it just makes the person mis-using it sound really stupid.
Avertide
11-12-2005, 08:45
Or it just makes the person mis-using it sound really stupid.
One of the reasons why Dan Quayle was the perfect Veep. Noone would dare kill Bush because then Dan Quayle would be Prez.
Pepe Dominguez
11-12-2005, 10:15
Trying to shut down debate, are you? :rolleyes:
I think he does bring up the motivation behind the word, though.. "terrorist" is an unavoidable emotionally-charged word.. I think "Islamo-fascist" came about as a way to avoid the baggage associated with "terrorist." Debates about how to deal with terrorists invariably result in cries of "was X a terrorist? Was Y a terrorist?" etc. Islamo-fascism circumvents this when used properly in the right context.
Neu Leonstein
11-12-2005, 11:38
Islamo-fascism circumvents this when used properly in the right context.
But only with a certain type of people...namely the type that hasn't got a clue about what Islamism is and what Fascism is.
So your average world citizen then. :p