As a utopian vision, Fascism has some merit. Mussollini's manifesto, for example, promotes some of the same kind of ideas as does Confucius--a need for order, but within order, flexibility. The need to subordinate the individual to the whole. Some may argue against the merit of this--and I am not sure that I like it myself--but it is the same impulse that built us great cathedrals in the middle ages, for example. Like fashion, certain terms, like certain writers, become throw aways--especially in the academy.  That is, for years, it was fashionable to condemn Nietzsche, because of the alleged connection between his philosophy and the Nazis. It in fact was so easy to condemn him that no one had to read him. Yet there is no Nazi in Nietzsche. If anything, he is sort of Buddhist. For years (even now) it has been easy to throw away Pound, rather than to read him. How many of you have encountered resistance somewhere along the line when you suggested that you liked Pound? How many people have had difficulty getting professors to teach him? What is his place in the Modernist anthologies? Likewise, there are some darn compelling essays on fascism as a social program.
   And they finally got those swamps drained in Italy, right?
 
>>> Joe Brennan <[log in to unmask]> 08/26 5:26 PM >>>
since I'm obviously (I thought) punning, it has several meanings -- assent,
of course, and also a comment on pound's "political leanings."
 
jb....
 
In a message dated 8/26/99 3:41:29 PM Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] 
writes:
 
<<
 i trust this acknowledges your assent, and not a
 declaration of political leanings...
 
 Stoneking
 
 
 
 
 ----- Original Message -----
 From: Joe Brennan <[log in to unmask]>
 To: <[log in to unmask]>
 Sent: Thursday, August 26, 1999 3:05 PM
 Subject: Re: EP and academics
 
 
 > or even  right on....
 >
 > In a message dated 8/26/99 2:53:48 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
 > [log in to unmask] writes:
 >
 > << right.
 > >>