perfidy

Mike: I wasn't bring up any particular issue in re: University of Michigan. I just hate them because I'm an Ohio State fan. But thanks for the insightful commentary. 

As far as the connection between communism and fascism, there are many similarities - state control of economy, police state policies, brutal oppression, etc. They were two sides of the same coin - one side plated with internationalism and class warfare, the other with nationalism and race warfare. That's probably why they hated each other so much, and why calling a political opponent a Nazi is still the greatest insult someone on the left can lay on an opponent. (If Stalin and crew weren't communists, why did they insist that they were? Socialism evolved into many things, one of them was fascism.) 

Definitely tell your students! Tell everyone, pass out flyers in the street... 

Johno: On convenience, I agree completely. That's why we wrote our constitution in negative statements - "Congress shall pass no law..." It isn't about government convenience, its about our freedom. 

As far as Saddam, ex-pet American dictator, goes - I think we are cleaning up our mess. The fact that we helped create it (as we did in Afghanistan) does lay a moral obligation on us. We did a lot of questionable things in the Cold War - many of which were probably justified in the light of the larger struggle against communism - that we will have to clean up. 

Thanks for the Pat Boone post.