Political Rhetoric: Gone Fascist?

[Professor S]

A few months back I mentioned that several of Obama Administrations economic policies concerning the banks and automakers were fascistic in nature. They have since backed off from these policies, but fascist rhetoric from the left seems to have picked up to fill the void.

For instance, Joel Stein's article from Time Magazine:

President Obama should probably get a little bit dictatorial up in here. He's the only person in the U.S. unaware that we elected him dictator, giving him both houses of Congress and the major television networks whenever he wants them. Instead of ignoring people's objections until they get socialized medicine and realize they like it, as England's leaders did, Obama is worried about seducing Olympia Snowe so he can say his health bill is bipartisan.

I understand Stein is a "humorist" in some aspect but there is a lot of serious thought in that statement, and he is a political commentator as much as anything.

On O'Reilly, Jon Stewart literally said Pres. Obama shouldn't treat Congress and an equal branch of government.



This type of rhetoric greatly concerns me, as it is literally fascist, and I see more and more opinions coming from the left that have zero regard for our governing documents.

Pres. Obama was intended to be a unifying force, but it seems more and more that both parties are pulling farther left and right in response to his leadership, or honestly, lack thereof. Republicans are retreating back to the Constitution, pulling some Dems with them, while leftists are being more vocal voicing beliefs that ignore the document and in the face of political defeats have become more defiant than accommodating (a recipe for a return to irrelevance, IMO).

If there can be one positive taken from this, it would be that at least the waters have cleared a bit in terms of political beliefs. But that's stretching it. Politically, our country is a mess.