Re: Eric Lee vs. Sean Matgamna of the AWL debating Israel
On Jul 29, 2006, at 11:45 PM, Chip Berlet wrote:
I understand that many people use the term Islamo-fascism as a
catch-all epithet, but there are serious scholars, including some
on the left, who think that some Islamic militant movements should
be seriously considered to be clerical fascist or theocratic
fascist movements. I understand your anger and frustration, but I
dislike having some of my claims, that are published in scholarly
publications, dismissed as merely “bullshit.” And Eric Lee is
hardly a crackpot. And is Juan Cole a crackpot for suggesting that
Hezbollah has engaged in war crimes? Get a grip.
I feel fully gripped, and in no need of getting one.
Attacking civilians is a war crime - I have no problem with Cole or
anyone else saying that. But that’s got almost nothing to do with
“Islamo-fascism,” an epithet that Hitchens loves to throw around -
and now apparently, so does Eric Lee. It’s a term that once magnifies
the strength of the “enemy,” obscures any real analysis of who “they”
are or what motivates them, and casts opponents of the general war as
Neville Chamberlains.
I’m not familiar with your work on this - could you point me to some?
I don’t think you produce bullshit, far from it, but the term itself
is bullshit.
Doug