Ten years ago, I sat in a newsroom reading a wire story in which someone of the liberal persuasion called someone of the conservative persuasion a “fascist.” Twenty years ago, I professor I respect used the term “fascist” to refer to science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein as a “fascist.” I grew up a liberal Democrat. We worshiped JFK’s sainted memory and believed FDR saved us all from the capitalists. But, the older I got, the more I heard people who espoused the ideas I was supposed to share hurl this ugly epithet at anyone whose ideas dared to be to the right of their own. To these people, agreeing to expand the social welfare system at a slightly slower rate of speed is exactly the same as wanting to send the poor to the gas chambers. Heinlein was a fascist in some circles because he glorified the military. These same circles ignored his opposition to the draft. Calling such people “fascist” or “nazi” dishonors the memory of the millions of real victims of fascism.

A member of the government in Germany has compared George W. Bush to Hitler. This person believes Bush wants to invade Iraq for pretty much the same reason Hitler invaded Poland. Personally, I’m was not aware Poland a rogue terrorist nation on the verge of developing nuclear weaponry, but what do I know. I went to public schools.

On the day of the attack, I sat at work, numb, watching Bush address the nation. Bush said he would tolerate no acts of vengeance against people of Muslims or people of Arab descent. That is not what America is all about, he said, adding that the War on terrorism would be conducted against terrorists, not religions or nationalities. Yeah, that sounds real Hitler-like.

Speaking of Hitler-like behavior, high-ranking Germans have apparently taken to claiming that the Jews are behind the United State’s war mongering. Apparently, some of these folks need a few more field trips to see the death camps, because somehow it hasn’t quite sunk in with them that this kind of scapegoating behavior has consequences. The New York Times’ William Safire suggests Germany is too unreliable an ally to host troops. My father, an unreconstructed FDR Democrat and no fan of Bush 1 or 2, upon hearing that the President of the United States of America was being compared to Hitler, suggested Germany be given the opportunity to run its economy while paying for its own national defense.