Christian uber-libertarian columnist Vox Day, in his weekly column, provides a really nice review of Jonah Goldberg’s book Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning.

I’ve always considered fascists, communists, and all brands of socialists–including national socialists (nazis)–in the same boat. Just different flavors. They all believe in the centralization of government and the harnessing of economic and political power to benefit the people. Some–such as the soft socialism of Western Europe–are more benevolent albeit inefficient while others–such as the Stalinist USSR, Mao’s China, Hitler’s Germany, and Mussolini’s Italy–were notoriously brutal and destructive.

Each requires a large government apparatus; each requires a police state; each requires government control of economic assets.

For the better part of the last eight decades, the American Left has embraced those ideals. While very few of them would call themselves doctrinal communists, many of them would privately say, “Ya know, communism (or socialism) could work, if the right people were in charge.” They view themselves as “the right people”.

Sadly, the GOP has also embraced that same fascist framework, as they have become a party of big, authoritarian government. Whereas Reagan moved in the direction of more personal liberties and freer markets, the modern GOP has foisted increased federal monstrosities in education (No Child Left Behind), health care (Medicare Part D), defense (an endless, protracted, war that will cost trillions of dollars), and economics (with spending on steroids).

Ergo, this election season, among the top-tier candidates (Hillary Hussein Edwards and Rudy McHuckarompson) you have a choice between left-leaning fascists and right-leaning variations of the same. The GOP will give you Herod the Great (Rudy), Caiaphas (Mitt), Herod Antipas (McCain), and Pilate (Huckabee). The DNC will give you Jezebel (Hillary), Ahab (Obama), and a kinder, gentler Karl Marx (Edwards).