Liberal fascism.

Its a good term. I read it first in Jonah Goldberg’s excellent book of that title. Goldberg’s thesis is that that Americans have come to equate fascism with right-wing political movements in the United States when, in fact, the reverse is true. To his mind, it is liberalism, not conservatism, that embraces what he claims is the fascist ideal of perfecting society through a powerful state run by omniscient leaders. And it is liberals, not conservatives, who see government coercion as the key to getting things done.

I think Jonah is pretty right.

On Saturday, Ted Cruz applied the term to the Democrat Party, saying they had gone to extremes in their persecution of Christians. The Hill reports–

“Today’s Democratic Party has decided there it has no room for Christians” he said at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition summit in Waukee, Iowa.

“There is a liberal fascism that is going after Christian believers,” the 2016 GOP presidential candidate continued. Cruz said same-sex marriage had produced rabid zealotry in Democratic ranks. This ideology, he argued, was excluding people of faith.

“Today’s Democratic Party has become so radicalized for legalizing gay marriage in all 50 states that there is no longer any room for religious liberty,” he said.

The Texas lawmaker said this stance was against America’s traditional values. Religious liberty, Cruz claimed, was one of the nation’s founding principles.

“We were founded by men and women fleeing religious persecution,” Cruz declared.

“We need leaders who will stand unapologetically in defense of the Judeo-Christian values upon which America was built,” he concluded.

Yes we do, and as far as I know, Cruz is about the only one doing that and the only one with the guts to speak as he has above. Cruz may just be that different politician we have all been waiting for.