Reclaiming the Term 'Fascism'

Reclaiming the Term 'Fascism'
Hudson Institute - Hudson Institute
Author Jonah Goldberg discusses Liberal Fascism. Panelists include Michael Ledeen, Resident Scholar with the American Enterprise Institute; Fred Siegel, Professor of History at Cooper Union; and Ronald Radosh, Adjunct Fellow with Hudson Institute. The discussion is moderated by Yuval Levin, Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.In his controversial new book, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning (Doubleday) Jonah Goldberg offers a startling new perspective on the theories and practices that define fascist politics. Reaching beyond familiar myths, he reminds us that the original fascists were men of the left, and that liberals from Woodrow Wilson to FDR to Hillary Clinton have advocated some policies and principles remarkably similar to those of European fascism, including an aversion to the free market, and the promise of free health care and a generous pension system. Do these striking parallels mean that today's liberals are genocidal maniacs, intent on conquering the world and imposing a new racial order? Of course not. Yet it is hard to deny, Goldberg argues, that modern progressivism and classical fascism share the same intellectual roots.Of the book former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says: "Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism will enrage many people on the left, but his dire thesis deserves serious attention.... Goldberg will lead you to new understanding and force you to think deeply." Following Goldberg's remarks, a panel of experts will present their commentary on the book - Hudson Institute