tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15447402.post115628996822915600..comments2023-09-18T02:20:14.674-07:00Comments on Pith and Substance: Good advice from Kevin DrumPithLordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03856231065567376894noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15447402.post-1156372263060589822006-08-23T15:31:00.000-07:002006-08-23T15:31:00.000-07:00Isn't the issue that they *do* find it offensive? ...Isn't the issue that they *do* find it offensive? Spencer Ackerman reports that practically all the moderate Muslims he spoke to in Dearborn -- many of whom no doubt voted for Bush in 2000 at least -- were appalled that Bush was using the term.<BR/><BR/>Maybe one reason they hate it is that it is now indissolubly linked with eliminationist rhetoric.PithLordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03856231065567376894noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15447402.post-1156357158231566902006-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:002006-08-23T11:19:00.000-07:00I could make a long list of reasons why I dislike ...I could make a long list of reasons why I dislike the term, Islamofascism, and one of these days maybe I will get around to doing it.<BR/><BR/>But I do not see why the term should be insulting to ordinary Muslims.<BR/><BR/>If, in the 1930s, we described followers of Mussolini as "Italofascists" (presumably to distinguish them from fascists of other nationalities), would that be offensive to all Italians?<BR/><BR/>The point of a compound word is to identify the overlap between two separate concepts. That the people being so branded are Islamic is not in question. If they are also fascist, then the term is useful to distinguish them from everyone else who might subscribe to Islam or fascism, but not both together.<BR/><BR/>But is "Islamofascism" a form of fascism? Probably not. However, I think the evidence that it is not needs to be stronger than the observation that not all those with totalitarian outlooks (Chinese Communists, etc.) are fascists. I already knew that.<BR/><BR/>I'll have to get to work on that list I alluded to.MSShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14199636437911986505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15447402.post-1156337618384741362006-08-23T05:53:00.000-07:002006-08-23T05:53:00.000-07:00It's a terrible and counterproductive abuse of lan...It's a terrible and counterproductive abuse of language. But I think we know what people mean when they use the word (something like violent authoritarian style gov't run by fundamentalist Muslims). I wonder though, is there any evidence that the "Islamofascists" intend to impose their "fascism" on the West*? My impression is that their intention is to do this in their own areas (i.e. they're more interested in removing Western influence than in influencing the West).<BR/><BR/><BR/>* another unfortunate abuse of language!a-trainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04727216363889773536noreply@blogger.com