Was FDR a fascist?

[flaja]

Mike Church put it simply the other day when he compared socialism to fascism. “A fascist is a socialist with a gun.” Although overly simplified, the comparison is valid.

Its fairly obvious that FDR was a socialist. He ushered in the era of Big Government. His wide reaching social programs, such as Social Security,

The first social security system in the entire world was created in imperial Germany by Otto von Bismark, who is credited with being an arch-conservative. Bismark created his social security system because he feared that the Left would launch a socialist revolution to get it.

Bismark acted in the truest conservative fashion. Going back to Burke conservatives have been opposed to mass concentrations of both wealth and poverty. The poor shouldn’t be allowed to dominate the rich by their number and the rich shouldn’t be allowed to oppress the poor simply because they have enough wealth to do so. Society must control wealth or the poor will go on the rampage and social upheaval is the last thing conservatives want.

[glockmail]

The first social security system in the entire world was created in imperial Germany by Otto von Bismark, who is credited with being an arch-conservative. Bismark created his social security system because he feared that the Left would launch a socialist revolution to get it.

Bismark acted in the truest conservative fashion. Going back to Burke conservatives have been opposed to mass concentrations of both wealth and poverty. The poor shouldn’t be allowed to dominate the rich by their number and the rich shouldn’t be allowed to oppress the poor simply because they have enough wealth to do so. Society must control wealth or the poor will go on the rampage and social upheaval is the last thing conservatives want.

What does this have to do with FDR?

[flaja]

What does this have to do with FDR?

How could FDR’s social security have made him a liberal when the world’s first social security system was created by a conservative?

I was merely pointing out how easy it is for people on the net to have a false view of what constitutes conservatism and liberalism. If we cannot agree on what the labels mean beforehand, we have no hope of applying the labels in the course of discussion. What has historically been called conservative is often far removed from the dog-eat-dog libertarianism that gets passed off as conservatism on the net.

[glockmail]

How could FDR’s social security have made him a liberal when the world’s first social security system was created by a conservative?

I was merely pointing out how easy it is for people on the net to have a false view of what constitutes conservatism and liberalism. If we cannot agree on what the labels mean beforehand, we have no hope of applying the labels in the course of discussion. What has historically been called conservative is often far removed from the dog-eat-dog libertarianism that gets passed off as conservatism on the net.

Non Sequitur

As we are discussing in contemporary USA, the labels are simply:
1. Conservative: Federal government should restrict its actions to those specifically enumerated in the Constitution.
2. Liberal: government is the solution to all society's ills.

[diuretic]

Non Sequitur

As we are discussing in contemporary USA, the labels are simply:
1. Conservative: Federal government should restrict its actions to those specifically enumerated in the Constitution.
2. Liberal: government is the solution to all society's ills.

1. Conservative: want to dismantle all government and replace it with private interests that are not accountable to the people.
2. Liberal: government has to be of an appropriate size and influence to provide basic and even advanced services to the population but not so large that the energies of the private sector are extinguished.

[manu1959]

1. Conservative: want to dismantle all government and replace it with private interests that are not accountable to the people.
2. Liberal: government has to be of an appropriate size and influence to provide basic and even advanced services to the population but not so large that the energies of the private sector are extinguished.

1. is an anarchist

2. is a moderate

[flaja]

1. is an anarchist

2. is a moderate

1. libertarian

2. something in the middle of the road with tire tracks across its middle

[glockmail]

1. Conservative: want to dismantle all government and replace it with private interests that are not accountable to the people.
2. Liberal: government has to be of an appropriate size and influence to provide basic and even advanced services to the population but not so large that the energies of the private sector are extinguished.

Your definitions are out of whack.

[diuretic]

Your definitions are out of whack.

According to whom?

[Kathianne]

1. Conservative: want to dismantle all government and replace it with private interests that are not accountable to the people.
2. Liberal: government has to be of an appropriate size and influence to provide basic and even advanced services to the population but not so large that the energies of the private sector are extinguished.

Conservative: want to have the least government possible, while providing for the common good.

Liberal: Government to take care of the unwashed masses, who send money to provide for such.

[flaja]

Conservative: want to have the least government possible, while providing for the common good.

Liberal: Government to take care of the unwashed masses, who send money to provide for such.

Conservative: someone who takes his guidance from tradition in an effort to maintain a stable, functioning society for all time and to this end is willing to let the government do what needs to be done but which individuals and the private sector either cannot or will not do.

Liberal: someone who rejects tradition as a source of wisdom in the mistaken notion that government can engineer society in order to insure equality not realizing that the only equality the government can insure is equality of mediocrity.

[flaja]

Non Sequitur

As we are discussing in contemporary USA, the labels are simply:
1. Conservative: Federal government should restrict its actions to those specifically enumerated in the Constitution.
2. Liberal: government is the solution to all society's ills.

Do these definitions have any kind of popular, academic or historical support, or are they you own inventions?

Can you give any examples of Democrat/liberal programs or laws that are unconstitutional?

[glockmail]

Do these definitions have any kind of popular, academic or historical support, or are they you own inventions?

Can you give any examples of Democrat/liberal programs or laws that are unconstitutional?

All three actually; no I didn't invent them.

Social Security Act. Where is it enumerated in the COTUS? It ain't, therefore it is unconstitutional.

[flaja]

All three actually; no I didn't invent them.

Social Security Act. Where is it enumerated in the COTUS? It ain't, therefore it is unconstitutional.

Social Security is necessary and proper to regulate interstate/international commerce.

Try again.