One Conservative Christian’s Justification for Ron Paul’s Statement.
Blogs and news articles lit up with knee-jerk reactions after Ron Paul mentioned fascism during a discussion of Mike Huckabee’s Christmas advertisement. Plenty of articles took the quote out of context and only USA Today bothered to print Ron Paul’s explanation of the statement (Fast forward to 1:07:15). Worse yet, some articles like James Pinkerton’s at newsday.com were downright dishonest in their description of his statement (Pinkerton claimed that Paul "caught himself" in the middle of the statement, but Paul didn’t miss a beat).
This subject deserves a little more intellectual rigor than Pinkerton was either willing or able to put into it. To complain that Paul merely smeared Huckabee, misses some important points and eschews the more important analytical approach about fascism.
Why Old-School Conservatives Are Concerned About Fascism
"When you say ‘radical right’ today, I think of these moneymaking ventures by fellows like Pat Robertson…who are trying to take the Republican Party and make a religious organization out of it. If that ever happens, kiss politics goodbye." --Barry Goldwater Sr., architect of the Republican Party’s conservative movement, Christian, and a man who Mike Huckabee could dash his chances at the nomination by speaking ill of.
The Wikipedia entry for ‘fascism’ explains that the term can be associated with excessive corporatism. Indeed, Paul specifically said that he meant "corporatist fascism" when he clarified his statement about Huckabee (fast forward to 1:07:15). He further explained that he wasn’t talking about Hitler-esque notions of fascism, nor was he speaking about Huckabee’s advertisement in particular. Instead, he simply relayed the first thing that came to his mind when it comes to politicians whose campaign funding comes from corporations that profit on taxpayer money, but whose votes come from broad appeals to Christianity.
This is not an invention of Dr. Ron Paul. At the height of the cold war against communism, Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower used his Farewell Address to the Nation to warn Americans about the threat of corporatism. He cautioned that we must be vigilant against the growing power and undue influence of the military-industrial corporations on the U.S. government. We promptly dismissed him and now the military industrial complex is one of the largest, if not, the largest interest group in America. It has almost consumed the Republican Party with pocket-lining donations, so Ron Paul is a very rare exception. Perhaps he heeded Eisenhower or perhaps he is simply an astute observer of political theory in spite of political practice. Either way, the weight of historical evidence is with him.
There is no question that Americans suffer at the hands of corporatism. In this video, active duty servicemen stationed in Iraq explain how Halliburton has endangered their lives, exposed them to diseases, siphoned exorbitant amounts of money from taxpayers, and even took away the troops’ rights to wash their own laundry. Many of us also remember Donald Rumsfeld’s press conference in Iraq where he was confronted by one brave soldier who wanted to know why so much money was spent on corporatist functions in Iraq, while soldiers searched for armor in piles of scrap metal. One need not call corporatism and the attending suffering by the term ‘fascism’, but equivocating around it won’t win the more meritorious argument.
Fascism can also be described as a coupling of right-wing ideology with progressivism. Progressives believe in expanding the powers of the federal government. Right-wing ideologues tend to parse behavioral norms along lines of right and wrong. So fascism can be described as an expansion of the federal government to enforce behavioral mandates. Old-school conservatives don't play this game, but neoconservatives have made efforts to mandate broad social norms upon the citizens of the United States. This probably culminated during George W. Bush’s effort to bar same-sex marriages through the constitutional amendment process instead of the devolved federal process, an effort that Huckabee supported.
Neither American Corporatism nor behavioral mandates need be called fascism per se, the coercion that neoconservatives levied against traditional conservatives bore many of the hallmarks. Neoconservatives appealed to notions of patriotism, employed Christian vernacular, and regularly threatened the old guard of Republicans with career-insolvency. By doing this, they conducted a war under disproved pretenses where major corporate campaign-donors continue to profit. Under that same pretext, they succeeded in gaining surreptitious entry (without warrant) into your computer and telephone lines. Call this what you want, but don’t criticize Paul for calling it fascism.
Mike Huckabee has stepped into the limelight at a particularly interesting time in the story of the GOP. The neoconservatives are nominally in power, but Paul’s success symbolizes a resurgence of old libertarian-conservative values and it thwarts the special interest-oriented control of Republican policy. He is the Antonin Scalia of the Congress, a man who takes the Constitution at its word with uncompromising dedication and refuses to yield to the temporary whims of Washington. Is it any wonder that he isn’t intimidated by a mainstream press that gets hysterical over words like ‘fascist’? By contrast, Mike Huckabee does not seem to have any underlying theory of governance at all. He just does what seems right to him and cites his Christian faith as his guide. Of all things, that faith guides him to continue the Iraq war indefinitely.
Jonah Goldberg summed up Huckabee's political leanings on LosAngelesTimes.com, "Huckabee represents compassionate conservatism on steroids. A devout social conservative on issues such as abortion, school prayer, homosexuality and evolution,…a populist on economics, a fad-follower on the environment and an all-around do-gooder who believes that the biblical obligation to do ‘good works’ extends to using government -- and your tax dollars -- to bring us closer to the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth" Don’t believe Goldberg? Huckabee attests that his new popularity in the polls is solely the result of divine intervention.
The problem is not that Christian principles are an inherently bad governing platform, it’s that they can be interpreted to manifest everywhere on the political spectrum. Predicting what Jesus would have done for the country or what Jesus has done for one’s campaign is the ultimate in arrogance and a means to demagogue. Bush believed that we should stamp out "evil" after 9/11, others may believe that we should have turned the other cheek. The Bible instructs both. Admittedly, Huckabee’s degree in theology speaks to a certain brand of Christianity, but what is he going to do when he runs out of Biblical quotes? Without overarching philosophy of governance, politicians like Huckabee are more likely to succumb to the power and money of corporatism and they’re more likely to sell it with a flag and a cross. It’s that simple.
Whether or not Huckabee would bring fascism to America is impertinent. What matters is the fact that we cannot know what he will bring to America. A man who would endorse a nationwide smoking ban just because he is on a health kick raises some serious red flags.
Jerry Falwell once tried to use his religious influence to block the appointment of Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court, saying "Every good Christian should be concerned". Goldwater responded, "I think every good Christian ought to kick Falwell right in the ass".
As a Conservative, I deserve a Republican candidate who can explain the theoretical underpinnings of Conservatism. They should be able to explain how their platform comports with Conservatism’s central tenets. That is why I will vote for the candidate who, like Goldwater, can intellectually kick others who would obfuscate Conservatism with Christianity, right in the ass.
As a Christian, I find it repugnant that anyone would claim Heaven above mandates their success in a political campaign. If that is not indicative of a messiah complex, it is but one step short of it. I will vote for the Christian candidate who, like Goldwater, would kick someone who claims that Christ Almighty inspires their polling statistics, right in the ass.
That is why, like the Goldwater family, I endorse Ron Paul for President.
©2007 Grizzle Griz, all rights reserved. You must have written permission from the author in order to republish this work.
Published: Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Last modified: Wednesday, December 26, 2007
The views expressed in this article are those of Grizzle Griz only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Grizzle Griz is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
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Reader Comments:
Posted By: Jared
Date: 2007-12-25 22:42:19
All of the candidates in the Republican Party except for Ron Paul are showing signs of Fascism. For example. Mike Huckabee is courting the Christian lobbyists, Mitt Romney is courting the Military Industrial Complex (Ratheon) and the Mormon faith, Giuliani is courting Wallstreet bankers, John McCain is courting the Military Industrial Complex. etc......
Posted By: David
Date: 2007-12-26 09:14:55
I am a Baptist preacher and believe Huckabee is a huckster. He does not realize his oath of office is a sacred vow to limit oneself to the constitution (Num. 30:2). Dr. Ron Paul is honest and honorable about his oath of office. When a president steps OUTSIDE of his oath of office, it like committing adultery against the people. Dr. Ron Paul is the only sane choice for president. He is the most consistent candidate to his oath of office. He is the ONLY candidate who desires the sovereignty of this nation. All of the others are globalists in one form or another. Dr. Ron Paul knows the right treatment for this sick nation.
Posted By: Dave N.
Date: 2007-12-27 08:14:30
Huckabee lied about his theology degree. He never finished seminary and his undergraduate degree is in Speech and Communications. His campaign staff has admitted as much.
Posted By: scottwww
Date: 2008-01-08 12:14:08
What does Grizzle Griz mean by, "A man who would endorse a nationwide smoking ban just because he is on a health kick raises some serious red flags." More specifically, describe in detail what is a smoking ban as it relates to Mike Huckabee's position on issues. Are you referring to banning cigarette, cigars, and tobacco for pipes? Or are you referring to prohibiting smoking in restaurants? What are you talking about? "ban smoking" means nothing without details.
Posted By: alandoland
Date: 2009-09-13 23:01:30
My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all kitchen islands remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just, I don't understand it."Those were the words of Senator Hillary Clinton, responding to a question from the Sioux dish rack Falls Argus Leader editorial board about why she was continuing her long shot race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Critics, like Keith washer dryer combo Olbermann (shown above), quickly jumped on the remarks. Shortly after the remarks were reported, Clinton was forced to apologize.