Mailbag

What is fascism?

I agree that people are woefully ignorant when it comes to understanding history and fascism in particular. But I was hoping the writer would more clearly unmask fascism for what it really is. Fascism is not on the right, it is on the left, along with socialism and communism. If you look at the Nazis’ 25-point platform you will see things like state control of banks and industry, education, media, and other socialist dogma. Fascists are socialists with a strong national identity.

The author of fascism was Giovanni Gentile, a committed socialist. Benito Mussolini got his inspiration from Gentile’s writings. Gentile believed that true democracy is when citizens subordinate themselves to the state so that through the government we will take care of one another like a family. He believed that private interests must serve the public interests or the state.

In contrast, the further you move right on the political spectrum, the people gain power at the expense of ­centralized government. Some would say that militarism and a strong nationalist sentiment makes a person a fascist. Not true! Gandhi was a nationalist, and so was Nelson Mandela. Our own George Washington and the Founding Fathers were strong nationalists and took action militarily. Their goal was to wrest control from a centralized power (the king) and give it back to the people.

Others have said that our current administration is fascist because it is persecuting illegal aliens like the Nazis persecuted the Jews. But these two examples are completely different. The deportation of illegal aliens follows the rule of law of a rational democratic republic, but the Nazis persecuted their own citizens under the misguided ­banner of ethnic superiority.

So why do most people believe that fascism is on the right? The reason comes right out of the Nazi playbook. Joseph Goebbels, minister of propaganda for the Nazis, said, “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” Today, anything nationalistic and/or militaristic gets the label fascist, when the real test is top-down control versus government in the hands of the people.
     Kevin Lantaff / Commerce City, Colo.

Emma Freire is correct that communism and fascism look similar in that they are authoritarian. The textbook definition of “left” (communism) and “right” (fascism) is thus unhelpful. Gary Allen in 1971 presented “a more rational political spectrum with total government in any form on the far Left and no government or anarchy on the far Right.” Historically, the USA’s system of a constitutional republic with limited government is right of center.
     Bruce Spidell / Boca Raton, Fla.

Freire provided a succinct and good description of fascism that prompted some memories. During the 1960s and ’70s, especially, one often faced statements that ran as follows: “I am afraid of and oppose extremism whether from the left or the right. Besides, the reds (communists) and the browns (Nazis) are practically the same: Extremes always meet.” This linguistic sleight of speech allowed leftists to brand conservatives as Nazis. But fascism, communism, and Nazism are of the left. Consider just a few of the common factors found in these ideologies: ­economic, biological, sociological materialism; complete state control of education; conformity of mass media; persecution or control of religious bodies; and the total mobilization of envy in the interest of the party and state.
     Steve Conway / Edwardsville, Ill.

Land of plenty

The article seems to overlook an important spiritual consideration to the question about the benefits or drawbacks of industrial farming: Maybe a lot of the problem with obesity and health is not from processed foods or certain fertilizers, but from a lack of self-discipline in our society. Many people eat too much and exercise too little, and Christians seem to be as guilty as ­anyone else.
     Bob Boyd / Prescott Valley, Ariz.

As a dietetics professional, I am thrilled to see more of a food focus in WORLD. The two articles in the November issue about crop farming and food politics were excellent. I work for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), so I advocate for only using federal dollars for specific “healthy” foods over allowing people to purchase soda and candy with people’s tax dollars (like SNAP does).
     Dianne Danielson / Chesapeake, Va.

Addie Offereins’ article gave a reasonable overview of farming but missed the last 30 years on how the use of genetic engineering globally has revolutionized crop production for soybeans, corn, canola, cotton, and other crops, significantly increasing yields, reducing tillage, and controlling diseases.
     Dr. Keith Redenbaugh / Davis, Calif.

An officer and a Christian

I’m a retired Army officer and combat veteran, and Walt Larimore’s piece about his father and his Christian faith, along with the story (“Rock of Honor”) about Bubba Sorensen’s art, meant a lot to me. Both stories articulate the sacrifice required serving in the U.S. military. And then when I read “ICE under fire,” what hit home was how history repeats itself. I was appointed to West Point in 1972 during Vietnam by Teddy Kennedy from Massachusetts. Voting for the first time that November as a liberal, I proudly voted for George McGovern. But when I returned home by bus for Christmas leave in 1972, arriving in Boston, I was called the most vile names simply because I was in uniform. The next year at the Armed Forces Day parade in New York City, protesters threw things at us because we were in the military. Today, people shake my hand and thank me for my service. My thought, which I sometimes say out loud, is, “Where were you 50 years ago?” So to the members of ICE, let’s not wait 50 years to say thank you for your service.
     Lt. Col. Paul Perrone, U.S. Army (retired) / Springfield, Va.

The vanishing worker

As I read Nick Eicher’s column on the vanishing worker, my first reaction was, “How are they surviving?” While Nick is certainly right that some have just checked out and are living off family/friends/entitlements, it then occurred to me that many of them are still working, but on a cash basis. From mowing lawns to fixing plumbing to scamming, they are working, but not legally, which is why they don’t show up in the data.
     Kay Gutknecht / San Jose, Calif.

Dear Wormwood

Andrée Seu Peterson is never a waste of ink and paper: Her columns are thoughtful, timely, and Biblically grounded. This month, she goes above and beyond. Her “Screwtape Letters” take on Charlie Kirk is a masterpiece. If she never writes another word, I will just reread it again and again.
     Pamela Coleman / Houston, Texas

Rock of honor

Thank you for that beautiful story of the rock painter in the November issue. It brought tears to my eyes. I have three grandsons in the military, and the story hit close to home.
     Lillian Coert / Fillmore, Calif.

California fire recovery drags

California’s sidebar states that one of our industries is “clean” energy. I would agree that we have “clean” energy. The exorbitant energy prices here clean out our wallets!
     George Farley / Tracy, Calif.

Big & bad

I simply want to make a Biblical comment on the statement that “Christians would acknowledge, wolves merely do what God created them to do.” God did not create hostility in animals initially. Genesis makes it clear that it was only after the flood that animals changed from being friendly to being terrified of man. It was also only after the flood that man was given animals as food (Genesis 9:2–3).
     Anita Endres / Parker, Colo.

Tennyson’s bar

Your columnists’ essays are a treasure. Lynn Vincent’s “Tennyson’s Bar” column affected me deeply. I cried at the end and with cracking voice prayed, “Lord, use me to save people; use me to save people.” Thank you so much for your terrific magazine!
     Jeff Schoonmaker / Albany, N.Y.

Correction

The Jasper County Freedom Rock is in Sully, Iowa (“Rock of Honor,” November).

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