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: : The United States of FDR was basically fascist. As are the modern European democratic-socialist states. : Um, a little clarification if you please?
Don: Fascism is the system where the government controls industry. FDR's policies placed government control over much of industry. My father was growing tomatos in the '30s. Due to the National Recovery Act, he could only sell some of those tamatos. He couldn't even give the rest away. That *is* fascism. It wasn't socialism--the government didn't own the farm. It simply told my father how to run the farm. I.e., fascism. My father told some of the neighbor (who had very little to eat) that he couldn't sell them tomatos, or give them tomatos, but if they *stole* tamatos there was nothing he could do about it.
: Ok, basically, "socialism" is many things, so I guess people actually CAN argue that the USA had their version of 'socialism', one different from any kind of 'socialism' that would eventually evolve in Europe during 18th~19th century. But people's definition of Fascism is pretty clear nowadays, and I don't see how the FDR government can be called 'fascist'. Nor with the Social Democracies of virtually every European state.
Don: Since the Social Democracies also regulate industry in detail, they are also fascist. They are not socialist unless the industries are owned by the government.
: Or was that obviously a simple lassaize-faire rhetoric, calling every economic theories envolved with state intervention 'fascist' ?
Don: I suppose you think a society in which the government can tell my father he can't sell or give away his tomatos is free?
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: : I mean that East Germany and the rest of the communist block were horrid places which no sane person would seek political asylum in.
: Asylum - A place for people who is fed up with their homes where someone's out to hound you. Well, if indeed East Germany was such a horrid place... wouldn't that mean the West was also a nasty little hell? That - despite the horridness - Brecht had to choose East Germany as his asylum?
Don: I tend to think he was a stupid man who didn't realize what he was getting into when he went to East Germany, and he solved his problem by killing himself. East Germany was a horrible place. The west was a good place to live, if not perfect. That was clear to all, even back then.
: He he
