Summary
THE REPUBLICANS' DEPLOYMENT of the term "Islamofascism" to define the enemy in the Bush administrations war on terror is clearly an attempt to improve their prospects in the midterm elections. By conflating contemporary terrorist threats with fearsome historical enemies, the GOP seeks to divert attention from the increasingly unpopular occupation of Iraq.
Bush strategists likely reasoned they could co-opt the term "Islamofascist" for their own purposes since the pundits who popularized the term seem unconcerned with consistent political principle. What's more, the word helps the GOP frame its only remaining argument to convince the U.S. public that the war in Iraq makes sense. Our fire-breathing enemies may live in different countries, like Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran, this line of argument runs, but they are all one: Islamofascists.Certainly, there are troubling tendencies among the radical Muslims who increasingly see the United States as the enemy. Caught in colonialisms lingering legacy, they have gripes similar to the "communist" and "nationalist" dissidents before them. In those days, United States ignored their concerns and subverted their secular leadership. "Godless communism" was the enemy, so we encouraged piety.See the full content of this document
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The Neocons' Lexicon
THE REPUBLICANS' DEPLOYMENT of the term "Islamofascism" to define the enemy in the Bush administrations war on terror is clearly an attempt to improve their prospects in the midterm elections. By conflating contemporary terrorist threats ...
See the full content of this document
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