FOURTEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM

[soundclash]

FOURTEEN CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM



Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, wrote an article about fascism which appeared in Free Inquiry magazine, a journal of humanist thought. Dr. Britt studied the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile). He found the regimes all had 14 things in common, and he calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The article is titled "Fascism Anyone?," and appears in Free Inquiry’s Spring 2003 issue on page 20.


The 14 characteristics are:


1.. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism – Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.


2.. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights – Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to ‘look the other way’ of even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.


3.. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe; racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc.


4.. Supremacy of the Military – Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.


5.. Rampant Sexism – The government if fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.


6.. Controlled Mass Media – Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common.


7.. Obsession with National Security – Fear is used as a motivation tool by the government over the masses.


8.. Religion and Government are Intertwined – Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.


9.. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders in power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.


10.. Labor Power is Suppressed – Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely or are severely suppressed.


11.. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.


12.. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses, and even forego civil liberties, in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.


13.. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions, and who use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability.


14.. Fraudulent Elections – Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against (or even the assassination of) the opposition candidates, the use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and the manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections

[PETA]

yeah - not just old but old and discredited politically motivated bullshit disguised as academic inquiry with the intent to attempt character assassination

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by xian

yeah - not just old but old and discredited politically motivated bullshit disguised as academic inquiry with the intent to attempt character assassination

They're certainly 14 aspects of the American Right. Whether or not they go as far as being "fascist" is debatable and probably overstated.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Ryan

They're certainly 14 aspects of the American Right. Whether or not they go as far as being "fascist" is debatable and probably overstated.

OK Ryan - lemme show an application with a slant attacking the left using the 14 points

1.. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism – Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

The US has traditionally been very patriotic - celebrating the 4th of July, Veteran's day, President's Day etc etc etc.

Yes, Fascist regimes have been fiercely nationalist but so have leftist regimes - China, Soviet Union, North Korea.

I don't think this factor is a good one that distinguishes left from right - we can find good examples of patriotism and bad ones - the bad ones are not a feature of only the left or right.

2.. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights – Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to ‘look the other way’ of even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Depends on whose human rights are being ignored. The left opposed the policy of containment in re: communism. There was plenty of human rights trampling going on committed by both sides - but the left didn't have a problem with the abuses perpetrated by communist regimes - the millions killed, abused, tortured, imprisoned and killed. More modern... human rights of the Kosovars were at first largely ignored, how about the human rights of the Iraqis under Saddam? The disdain is a matter of perspective not the property of the right.

3.. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause – The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe; racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists; terrorists, etc.

The left does the same thing - they scapegoat the right. Why do you think the word "neo-con" has morphed into meaning "those things despised and perceived of as conservative" when in fact it had a fairly narrow original definition... ~generally Jewish intellectual former leftist converts to conservatism who advocate the spreading of democracy.~

The left demonizes the right and uses the spectre of racism to retain the african-american voting bloc.

4.. Supremacy of the Military – Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Since WWII we've had Truman, Kennedy, LBJ, Carter and Clinton - that's a lot of democrats. Kennedy and LBJ were not just fiercely natioanlist ("ask not what your country can do for you?" How is that not squarely within several catagories above?) and both were fierce anti-communists who took us to war... a republican got us out. Carter was a joke. Clinton was not shy of sending cruise missiles.....

But, generally the right is more comfortable with the military and recognizes the propriety of keeping it in good shape.

The right does focus more on foreign agenda than domestic - the right's general attitude is that government intervention domistically is the source of problems not the solution.

5.. Rampant Sexism – The government if fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

just to pull out 2 things to make the point

Oddly enough there are many people who feel killing an unborn child is horribly wrong. This is not an evil point of view.

Leftists would go in the opposite extreme - defending no limits to abortion, and abandoning traditional definitions of family and marriage. This is defending the lack of standards and though one may disagree with the stadards of the right... at least they have them.

"Anti-gay legislation" must mean DOMA which was passed with great bi-partisan support and signed by a Democrat President - hardly a fascist event.

6.. Controlled Mass Media – Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, is very common.

Yeah, we've got lots of that going on - N/A

7.. Obsession with National Security – Fear is used as a motivation tool by the government over the masses.

I'd refer you to 9/11 - fear of attack is rational.

8.. Religion and Government are Intertwined – Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.

A common charge attacking Bush. However, do recall that Al Gore responded to a question from some MTV moron with, "I ask myself - what would Jesus do?"

This may be a valid charge made against Iran but not in the West.

9.. Corporate Power is Protected – The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders in power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

N/A - in the US these guys enjoy widespread support from whomever is in office

10.. Labor Power is Suppressed – Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely or are severely suppressed.

Labor spends hundreds of millions in the US N/A

11.. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

The Right does object to funding "art." Especially when much art seems to be no more than an attempt to outrage... Piss Christ? Come on.

Again, the left woudl defend a lack of standards.

Higher education - academia is a bastion of the left pure and simple. And, as it has a tendency toward monolithic attitudes the right is correct to reject their intolerance toward competing ideas.

12.. Obsession with Crime and Punishment – Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses, and even forego civil liberties, in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

N/A - this hasn't really been an issue for a long time - crime rates are declining blah blah blah

13.. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption – Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions, and who use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability.

N/A - Clinton was the king of cronyism... travelgate? This is a feature of politics - - not a feature of the right.

14.. Fraudulent Elections – Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against (or even the assassination of) the opposition candidates, the use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and the manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections

That's just stupid - leftist regimes in North Korea, Venezuela, China world wide are guilty of rampant voter fraud - its assinine to suggest it is a feature exclusively of the right

[Ryan]

Originally Posted by xian

OK Ryan - lemme show an application with a slant attacking the left using the 14 points

I was just jerking you chain, dude.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by Ryan

I was just jerking you chain, dude.

Ryan, I'd be remiss if I didn't bite

[transparentaura]

Originally Posted by xian

yeah - not just old but old and discredited politically motivated bullshit disguised as academic inquiry with the intent to attempt character assassination

Just curious. How long did you consider the implications of this before firing off this response? I know you followed it up with a lengthy, thoughtful rebuttal. But so many people refuse to consider the possibility that the US , and more specifically our current leaders are anything but absolutely right and any suggestion that we could do better is met with an attack on the patriotism of whomever makes that inquiry. We may not be a fascist state, but you have to admit that a lot of current policy, carried to its extreme would constitute fascism. And the way that happens starts with a constituency that rejects out of hand any self examination.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by transparentaura

Just curious. How long did you consider the implications of this before firing off this response? I know you followed it up with a lengthy, thoughtful rebuttal. But so many people refuse to consider the possibility that the US , and more specifically our current leaders are anything but absolutely right and any suggestion that we could do better is met with an attack on the patriotism of whomever makes that inquiry. We may not be a fascist state, but you have to admit that a lot of current policy, carried to its extreme would constitute fascism. And the way that happens starts with a constituency that rejects out of hand any self examination.

sure, that's the case - and I'd agree that anytime one line of thinking receives absolute approval one gets and absolutist government... which is why in the US we've got elections, a vigorous freedom of press and expression etc etc the fact that we have such an electrified opposition in the US us a good thing - it helps moderate...... both ends of the spectrum

Originally Posted by speedyk

11.. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts – Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

this is bullshite
new york and l.a. especially are brimming with designer boutiques, jewelry, and home furnishing stores

so i hardly think our government supresses freedom of artisitic expression

also consider the galleries and museums in major cities, not to mention sculptures

grafitti, no...art, yes

[SenseOfCommons]

Maybe not every one of those 14 things are prevalent in the US, but I know that once we are getting to 3 out of 4, it's hard to ignore the resemblance.

[The Nudist Buddhist]

Besides the fact that the union is taken care of, it would appear that we're in a fascist state.

"Appears" is in italics, of course.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by The Nudist Buddhist

Besides the fact that the union is taken care of, it would appear that we're in a fascist state.

"Appears" is in italics, of course.

just to clarify and to provide some sense of rality to the overwhelming tendency towards hyperbole..... here and elsewhere....

Originally Posted by webster

Main Entry: fas·cism http://webster.com/images/audio.gif
Pronunciation: 'fa-"shi-z&m also 'fa-"si-
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition

anyone making an argument that we've got an autocratic government... line up on the right please for immediate bitch slap and reminder that you get to vote. Anyone claiming that Bush stole the election...line up to the left for ridicule and for referral the DNC to search for anyone willing to stake their good reputation on such a claim... failing that.... there is NOTHING resembling facsim in our government... though it is a handy term to toss about when one disagrees with the current admnistration's policy...(the right did it when the NRA called the Reno Justice department "jack booted thugs" - caused GHWB to resign from the NRA) just do us all a favor and at least admit that when bandying about such bullshit you recognize that's it is just bullshit....

[zerojunkie]

lol...Facism, Nazi's and Gulags, oh my!

Someone needs a history lesson.

[The Nudist Buddhist]

Originally Posted by xian

just to clarify and to provide some sense of rality to the overwhelming tendency towards hyperbole..... here and elsewhere....


anyone making an argument that we've got an autocratic government... line up on the right please for immediate bitch slap and reminder that you get to vote. Anyone claiming that Bush stole the election...line up to the left for ridicule and for referral the DNC to search for anyone willing to stake their good reputation on such a claim... failing that.... there is NOTHING resembling facsim in our government... though it is a handy term to toss about when one disagrees with the current admnistration's policy...(the right did it when the NRA called the Reno Justice department "jack booted thugs" - caused GHWB to resign from the NRA) just do us all a favor and at least admit that when bandying about such bullshit you recognize that's it is just bullshit....

I'm going to make a feeble try at battling Xian for once...

If I don't have tons of cultural influence, how does my vote count? Electoral college got the poor man in a bind, ya know.

[PETA]

Originally Posted by The Nudist Buddhist

I'm going to make a feeble try at battling Xian for once...

If I don't have tons of cultural influence, how does my vote count? Electoral college got the poor man in a bind, ya know.

Presuming there are more poor than rich and that the poor vote a 60/40 split that should give them more than enough clout to win the popular vote in a state and thus all of its electoral votes don't you think

That would mean the issue is convincing them 1) to vote and 2) to vote for the candidate you wish them to vote for

The voter who stays home has little cause to complain about their self-imposed disenfranchisement.


....and.... my comments in that previous post were meant as general comments - not directed at you (hope you didn't interpret them that way )