ask y ▁wrote ▁in ▁The ▁New ▁Republic : ▁▁ ▁... ▁I ▁can ▁report ▁with ▁a ▁clear ▁conscience ▁that ▁Liberal ▁F asc ism ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁ted ious ▁and ▁in ane — and ▁ultimately ▁self - neg ating — books ▁that ▁I ▁have ▁ever ▁read . ▁... ▁Liberal ▁F asc ism ▁is ▁a ▁document ▁of ▁a ▁deeply ▁f riv ol ous ▁culture , ▁or ▁sub - c ulture . ▁... ▁However ▁much ▁or ▁little ▁Gold berg ▁knows ▁about ▁fasc ism , ▁he ▁knows ▁next ▁to ▁nothing ▁about ▁liberal ism . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁book ▁Id iot ▁America : ▁How ▁St up id ity ▁B ec ame ▁a ▁V irt ue ▁in ▁the ▁Land ▁of ▁the ▁Free , ▁Charles ▁P . ▁Pier ce ▁describes ▁Gold berg ' s ▁book ▁as ▁" App ar ently ▁written ▁with ▁a ▁paint ▁roll er " ▁and ▁" a ▁rich ly ▁foot not ed ▁lo og ie ▁ha w ked ▁by ▁Gold berg ▁at ▁every ▁liberal ▁who ▁ever ▁lo os ely ▁called ▁him ▁a ▁fasc ist ." ▁Pier ce ▁also ▁claims ▁that ▁Gold berg ▁ignored ▁historical ▁facts ▁rel ating ▁to ▁his ▁accus ations ▁against ▁Wood row ▁Wilson : ▁ ▁It ▁seems ▁that ▁Wilson ▁was ▁a ▁Progress ive , ▁and ▁Gold berg ▁sees ▁in ▁the ▁Progress ive ▁movement ▁the ▁seed bed ▁of ▁American ▁fasc ism ▁which , ▁he ▁arg ues , ▁diff ers ▁from ▁European ▁fasc ism , ▁especially ▁on ▁those ▁occasions ▁when ▁he ▁needs ▁it ▁to ▁differ ▁because ▁he ▁has ▁back ed ▁up ▁the ▁argument ▁over ▁his ▁own