Newsgroups: bit.listserv.politics
Date:         Tue, 12 Jan 1993 10:17:13 EST
From:         Jamie <PL436000@BROWNVM.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: you try to put you right foot in, but you have

>From:         Grzegorz Albinowski <caius@II.UJ.EDU.PL>

This is getting ridiculous.

Caius has been using some definitions that ALL of us know are
Humpty Dumptyish. (In case some readers are not familiar with
Humpty Dumptyism: Humpty said to Alice, "When *I* use a word,
it means exactly what I want it to mean, neither more nor less."
Alice wasn't so sure. Humpty insisted, "It's all a question of
who's to be master.")

Instead of admitting this, he demanded that someone else provide
a definition. So, two people did, from dictionaries.

Gary:
>>> Actually, I provided a dictionary definition of fascism (a bit
>>> different from the one you provided) in December, in response to a post
>>> from Sam.  Caius probably just missed it or something..:

Caius now says,

>Thank you for quoting the definition of fascism (the wrong one is better than
>none; it can be discussed), but rightism is still undefined.

I'm not so sure that the wrong one is better than none. Maybe sometimes.
In any case, the wrong one is yours.

>I have asked to define "rightism", not the references of usage.

I don't know what Caius means by this. "Right" as a portion of
the political spectrum, means "conservative" or "reactionary."
(American Heritage Dictionary) I predict Caius will now demand
a definition of "conservative." "Tending to oppose change; favoring
traditional views and values."  (Same source.)

That's all the definitions I will offer. Caius could perhaps look
up some definitions himself. I advise him to get an English or
American dictionary rather than a Polish-to-English dictionary.

Maybe we can appoint a dictionary apparatchnik. I will consider
making such an appointment. Applicants send resumes.

>>> fascism - a philosophy or system of government that advocates or exercises
>>> a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state
>>> and business leadership, together with an ideology of belligerent
>>> nationalism. (from the American Heritage Dictionary, 1980).

Ok by me.

>Sure, the best way to "prove" something is to put it in the definition.

Gary did not PUT anything in a definition. It was already there when
Gary was born.

I assume Caius will agree that anything that can be proved from
a definition is true. (Well, unless the definition is of a very
special sort, but we needn't go into that.)

>Let's look at the DEFINITIONS file which is privided by the POLITICS listserver
>
>||fascism:      Political system in which individual rights are systematically
>||             denied in favor of the powers of the government.  Property
>||             under facism is officially "owned" by individuals, but it can
>||             be taken at any time, and will be, in order to meet State goals.
>
>Under this definition ( i assume the authors of POLITICS guides more
>authoritative) fascism has nothing to do with rightism.

This definition is not correct. The author of the POLITICS guide is
NOT more authoritative than the American Heritage dictionary. The
author was merely noting his impression. The compilers of the
dictionary actually did research.

Now, ENOUGH with the definitions already.

Jamie