▁put ▁in ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁an ▁argument ▁that ▁no ▁one ▁with ▁any ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁topic ▁would ▁take ▁seriously . ▁ ▁Journal ist ▁David ▁Ne i wert , ▁wrote ▁in ▁The ▁American ▁Pro spect ▁that ▁Gold berg ▁ ▁has ▁drawn ▁a ▁kind ▁of ▁history ▁in ▁abs urd ly ▁broad ▁and ▁com ically ▁wrong head ed ▁stro kes . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁just ▁history ▁done ▁badly , ▁or ▁mere ▁revision ism . ▁It ' s ▁a ▁car ic ature ▁of ▁reality , ▁like ▁something ▁from ▁a ▁com ic - book ▁alternative ▁universe : ▁B izar ro ▁history . ▁... ▁Gold berg ▁isn ' t ▁content ▁to ▁simply ▁create ▁an ▁ox ym or on ; ▁this ▁entire ▁enter prise , ▁in ▁fact , ▁is ▁classic ▁New spe ak . ▁... ▁Al ong ▁the ▁way , ▁he ▁gro tes qu ely ▁mis re pres ents ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁academ ia ▁regarding ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁fasc ism ▁... ▁ ▁David ▁O sh in sky ▁of ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁wrote : ▁▁ ▁Liberal ▁F asc ism ▁is ▁less ▁an ▁expos é ▁of ▁left - wing ▁hyp oc ris y ▁than ▁a ▁chance ▁to ▁exact ▁political ▁reven ge . ▁Yet ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁his ▁book ▁aside , ▁what ▁distingu ishes ▁Gold berg ▁from ▁the ▁Se an ▁Hann ity s ▁and ▁Michael ▁Sav ages ▁is ▁a ▁w itt y ▁intelligence ▁that ▁de als ▁in ▁ideas ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁ins ult s — no ▁mean ▁fe at ▁in ▁the ▁nast y ▁world ▁of ▁the ▁culture ▁wars . ▁ ▁Michael ▁Tom