What's A Fascist?

What's a Fascist?
By Erik Gunther
Fri, September 01, 2006, 9:00 am PDT
View Source

Fascism, (noun): "a political philosophy, movement, or regime...that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition" (Merriam-Webster)

When President Bush and his cohorts brought "fascism" into the daily discourse, searches on the potent term soared. Buzz on "fascist" jumped 112% yesterday as Republican talking points filtered down through the administration. Digging up this loaded chestnut and applying it to certain Islamic elements has done wonders for this word's renaissance.

But will the word resonate with voters in the upcoming elections? The use of "Islamic Fascism" to describe America's enemies may not be spot on, and it has raised eyebrows with political pundits and searchers alike. Curious folks went straight to the Search box to look up "definition of fascism," "what is fascism," and "islamofascism." With plenty more rhetoric and bluster on tap until November, will fascism hold sway as the popular buzzword among those in power? We'll be keeping an eye (and an ear) out...