What are you reading?

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I really, really hate Fascism, and its the only political ideology whose adherents actually scare me, so I like to know as much as possible about them.

I'm really surprised at how many closet fascists and unknowingly fascist people there are, and after what amounts to 8 years of neo-fascism (neo-con is an euphemism for neo-fascist/corporatist, in my view) in the US it scares me profoundly how little we have progressed in the past 60 years. Anything that can be done to prevent those people to take root in power is a good thing in my book.

[Kaliayev]

I tend to think the Neo-Cons are more like the Prussian aristocrats and Italian corporate owners - that is to say, the people who felt they could use fascism as a tool, and then got burned for their efforts.  Von Papen and Hindenburg thought they could use the Brownshirts to smash the KPD and the socialists - and they did - but they didn't realize the same would happen to them soon after.  Even their adulation of Victorian Britain suggests, to me, an imperialist as opposed to fascist mindset.

The populist/proto-fascist stab in the back fortunately hasn't happened so far in this case, but when you see the kind of people who were lining up behind Palin, and the current GOP purge (which is removing every single moderating influence, and may have to try and pick up Constitution Party supporters to make up for loss of numbers) then you have a scary scenario.

The BNP over here are far less powerful, but they still move in the same circles of suspicious connections, attempted terrorism, paranoia and thuggery that are so common to the ideology.  What's worse is how our government attempts to pander to their supporters with xenophobic and bigoted statements, hoping to steal their votes away.  I do wonder how a Tory win will impact on the BNP though.  Usually such parties do better when left-wing groups are in power, but New Labour isn't very leftwing, and David Cameron seems to be genuinely striving for the right of centre quite hard.  Disaffected Tories and Labour supporters seem to make up a fair bit of the BNP base, though one can never discount the possibility that they are lying, as part of their Gramscian meta-political strategy to make their views more publically acceptable.

[Swatopluk]

One limiting factor may be the lack of a real leading figure. The propagandists alone can't run the show. Hitler might have been able to do without Goebbels but Joseph could not have taken Adolf's place (let alone become dictator in the first place).
Or in more concrete terms: Rush, O'Reilly, Hannity and Accomplices would simply not be credible as dictators.

[Kaliayev]

There is that, too.  Nick Griffin is a fuckwit, and in America you have some attempted, wannabe leaders (Don Black, the Aryan Nations guy, etc) but no-one who combines charisma, presence and control in the way Mussolini or Hitler could.

Equally, because of the embedded liberalism within the British and American systems (well, more or less, despite the numerous attacks made on them), people belonging to fascist groups often appear in highly antigovernmental circles, which some would consider odd due to the fascist obsession with power (though not so odd when you remember the above and factor in envy).

This is why I like the concept of proto-fascism, it clears up a lot of the hazy ground between right populism and outright fascism.

[Darlica]

I'm reading The Adventures of Doctor Eszterhazy by Avram Davidson.

[Swatopluk]

Encyclopedia Cthulhiana 3rd ed.

[beagle]

Reproduced Daily Telegraph articles from 70 years ago.

That in turn reports how according to the "Angriff" Brits are being forced to seek refuge in the Reich from "The Jewish Reign of Terror" in London. I've a feeling this may end badly.

A colleague at work reads Pepy's diary entry every day. That's much more fun as he chases the servant girls.

[nefyuBB]

i weedin dis
wot ya fink i weedin !?

[Swatopluk]

The Battle of Königgrätz (on the title they ignored the Umlaute as usual but I don't see why I should tolerate that)

[Pachyderm]

I Claudius

[anthrobabe]

The Time Travelers Wife : Audrey Niffenegger
ok I am listening to it on audio book-- I really like it- hate to turn it off when I get to work/home.

My daughter heard about it being made into a movie and wanted to read the book- but they did not have it at the library so I got the audio book and since she had no interest in that I popped disc one in on the way to work the other morning and have been listening eagerly ever since.

Claire and Henry-- life long love, trials and lots of subtle humor. Not sure how the movie will go-- they can't cram it all into a standard movie- all the subtlety-- but it will probably be an ok movie.

Read it first!

No spoilers for you-- if you haven't read/listened I give this a big thumbs up.

[Swatopluk]

I Claudius

If you haven't yet, also take a look at the classic British TV adaption.

[beagle]

I Claudius

If you haven't yet, also take a look at the classic British TV adaption.

But don't eat the figs.

That book and Claudius the God are the two books I've reread most over the years.

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Currently reading a book on Linq (Language Integrated Query).

[Swatopluk]

You have been linked! (In German 'linken' also means to con somebody)

[Griffin NoName]

The Thoughtful Dresser ~ Linda Grant