The Goldberg Variations

Just finished Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg. In its 487 pages (58 of which are footnotes and supporting documents) Mr Goldberg gives us an eye-opening history lesson, none of which I learned in the citadels of higher education.

Now, I had always suspected that the German and Italian fascists were creatures of the left (I mean, which part of "National Sozialistische" is unclear?) And their whole pagan Aryan culture silliness struck me as some kind of proto-New Age nonsense. And I already had bad feelings that the current trend in America of undermining parental authority sounded eerily familiar. But I had no idea that Hitler and his cronies were vegetarians, animal rights activists, virulent anti-smokers . . . heck, forget about looking for Hitler in Argentina: you're more likely to find him in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods.

And then there was the amazing suspension of civil rights in the US under Wilson and Roosevelt (that part I knew), with their "speech codes" and "neighborhood watch" wardens. And even though I have always opposed the minimum wage because I thought it actually hurt minorities, I never knew that that was the stated intention of the Southern Democrats who passed it in the New Deal era. And don't get me started about the unbelievable racism and eugenics horrors of the American left.

Mr Goldberg is not saying that if you read It Takes a Village you're a crypto-Nazi. In fact, he thinks that most "liberals" today have the best of intentions. But we all know where those intentions are used as pavement.

His point is that the underlying premises that are the bases for what we call liberalism today are actually more in line with fascist thought, and that it is the "conservatives" who are more in tune with what has historically been referred to as "classical liberalism."

It's a great read and, if you're willing to open your mind, an amazingly helpful book in filling in the holes of all the history you never learned.