Here are the 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism, as stated by Dr. Lawrence Britt (with my explanation why America has these characteristics)
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.
Toby Keith's "We'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way", abundance of flags and other 'super patriotic' paraphernalia
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 or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
Water boarding and other torture not being priority news, and people just brushing it off. The growing idea that it's ok to give up rights for "homeland security"
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.
Osama Bin Laden! Saddam Hussein! Russia! China! Iran! Terrorists!
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.
Remember the whole "if you don't support the war, you don't support our troops" crap they were feeding us back in 2003? Plus, somewhere around $600 billion spent on the invasion of Iraq already
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
I'll admit, this is really the only one that doesn't fit all that well.
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 sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Fox News, MSNBC, etc.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
Terror Alert! Homeland Security! Terrorists will get you!
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.
Christianity playing such an important role in the presidency. Remember "he's a Muslim! I'm not voting for him! He ain't Christian! He don't believe in Jesus!" Christianity being America's unofficial religion
9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
Corporate lobbyists putting politicians into power and getting the spoils
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.
190,000 UAW members in 2003 compared to 1.5 million UAW members in 1979. Rise of "non-union" chains like Marc's or Wal-Mart
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 and letters is openly attacked.
Censorship. Opposing ideas are pushed down, and made to look like "loony nutcase stuff", and not just "conspiracy" ideas. Other religious and philosophical ideas are put down as well
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.
The growing use of unnecessary force by police officers.
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 use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
Ford pardoned Nixon, Obama has Clinton cabinet, etc.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
2000: Bush vs. Gore election. Biased media coverage of elections, etc.
Some of your points are clutching at straws to a massive degree
You've completely missed the point of the argument...Intellectuals and the arts has nothing to do with religious or philosophical ideas...and certainly nothing to do with conspiracy "stuff". It's referrencing the fact that poets, artists, musicians and academics tend to be silenced or killed in facist regimes. So unless you're suggesting that music and the arts is somehow suppressed in the US then you're on the wrong track. And we both know that isn't the case. Nor is it the case that Harvard professors are being dragged out of classes and shot. So it really doesn't fit the defintion
Since when has China been touted as an enemy? They are a bigger economic ally to the US than anyone at the moment.
When was the last time there was terrorist scares in the US? The last i remember was the anthrax letters. Just because when something happens, the news think it's an idea to quote some scared idiot who'll inevitably say something like "i thought it was another 9/11" when a light plane hits a building, doesn't mean the government are trying to control people by using fear of terrorism
The point about religion and people not voting for Obama because they thought he was a muslim isn't a government agenda either. It's just borne from people's ignorance and sheer stupidity.
I do, however, agree with the point about America being overly patriotic but it's not done in a facist regime way whereby it's actually forced upon people to do things such as fly flags and attend rallies.
I also agree with the point about the errosion of union power being a problem. I'm a union representative though so i'm biased.
KMC Community Forums
Feb 20th, 2009 11:15 PM
