updated 14 points of fascism

[POAC]

better examples and graphics
http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm

wake up and smell the fascism

In "Fascism Anyone?," Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, identifies 14 characteristics common to fascist regimes. His comparisons of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto, and Pinochet yielded this list of 14 "identifying characteristics of fascism."

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.



and let's not forget the failed "Bring 'em on!"

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.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s806850.htm
http://www.worldrevolution.org/article/294
http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0332/lee.php

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. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400046610/wilsixst98-20/ref%3Dnosim/104-1169695-8314362
http://www.paknews.com/specialNews.php?id=2269&date1=2003-06-14
http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/opinion.asp?ArticleID=95447

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 governments of 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.
http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/columnists/molly_ivins/4357004.htm
http://www.reproductiverights.org/pr_02_0506bush.html

6. Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to 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.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25511-2003Oct14.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/steinreich8.html
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/96447p-87382c.html
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3713.htm

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


'nuff said

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.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3199212.stm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s819685.htm
http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/


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.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4505.htm
http://oldamericancentury.org/cronyism.htm
http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=3&num=132
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/10/13/MN44091.DTL

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.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/85247_bushlabor02.shtml
http://www.shastalink.k12.ca.us/csea/Legislative/BushAttacks.html
http://salt.claretianpubs.org/washweek/2001/03/is0103b.html
http://www.ufcw.org/worker_political_agenda/where_we_stand/overtime.cfm

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.
http://www.vanderbiltorbis.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/02/26/3e5c2a2342f25
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2003-07-06-teachers-usat_x.htm


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.
http://www.pipeline.com/~rgibson/patriot.html
http://eff.org/Censorship/Terrorism_militias/patriot-act-II-analysis.php


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.
http://www.blythe.org/nytransfer-subs/Central_America/Iran-Contra_Felons_Get_Good_Jobs_from_Bush
http://oldamericancentury.org/bushcontra.htm


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.

http://www.infernalpress.com/Columns/election.html
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4031.htm
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,60563,00.html

related articles:

The Danger of American Fascism:
With a fascist the problem is never how best to present the truth to the public but how best to use the news to deceive the public into giving the fascist and his group more money or more power.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/082103F.shtml
Germany In 1933: The Easy Slide Into Fascism
http://www.crisispapers.org/Editorials/germany-1933.htm

[kodi]

1. valuable thread and info. please review Dave Neiwert's Orcinus site too

he has a 40,000 word, detailed and referenced analysis of fascism in america.

http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/

[POAC]

2. very nice, thanks

n/t

[Jazzgirl]

3. Excellent!

There isn't one of the 14 points described that doesn't fit whats going on in the U.S. today. Scary!

Jazzgirl

[Brucey]

4. Excellent, POAC, kudos to you.

I believe it was Mussolini who said that fascism meant the privatization of everything. Well...

[POAC]

5. thanks!

I think the actual quote was:
"Fascism should rather be called corporatism as it is the merger of corporate and government power".
to which I say:

[kalian]

7. Not "privatization"....

Not really. Basically, Mussolini wanted the State to work hand in hand
with corporations or have the State "in service of" corporations.
Corporations were to be "nationalistic" in their goals while the
State was to be supportive of corporations' needs.

The old saying goes: One could never tell where Krupps ended and
the Nazi party started...

[Infinite Velocity]

6. Nice Work POAC

Excellent post...You've done your homework!
Yes, it describes exactly what is going on in America.
Thanks for the links.

[yelladawg]

8. Great Post

I posting some of your info on other Democratic boards.

Thanks for the hard work.

[POAC]

9. thanks guys

please spread this around as much as possible. I try to keep the examples as current as possible. The scariest thing is, It isn't hard to do. Every week I find a more fascist example than the last. I'd like to see everyone print out the page and leave it in books, restrooms, bus stops, etc.

[sexybomber]

12. Yo, welcome to DU!

:hi:

[newyawker99]

14. Hi Infinite Velocity!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[TruthIsAll]

10. kick n/t

.

[sexybomber]

11. nice post

nice site as well. I've got you bookmarked now :D keep it coming!

[Clete]

13. Your post boils extreme RW fascist ideology down into a nice

easy to read and memorize points.

[POAC]

15. or write on the face of a sleeping winger

with a permanant magic marker as they sleep

[Clete]

16. Needs another

:kick:

[Spider Jerusalem]

17. More on this...

a piece by Umberto Eco, "Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt":

<snip>
3. Irrationalism also depends on the cult of action for action's sake.

Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation. Therefore culture is suspect insofar as it is identified with critical attitudes. Distrust of the intellectual world has always been a symptom of Ur-Fascism, from Hermann Goering's fondness for a phrase from a Hanns Johst play ("When I hear the word 'culture' I reach for my gun") to the frequent use of such expressions as "degenerate intellectuals," "eggheads," "effete snobs," and "universities are nests of reds." The official Fascist intellectuals were mainly engaged in attacking modern culture and the liberal intelligentsia for having betrayed traditional values.

4. The critical spirit makes distinctions, and to distinguish is a sign of modernism.

In modern culture the scientific community praises disagreement as a way to improve knowledge. For Ur-Fascism, disagreement is treason.

5. Besides, disagreement is a sign of diversity.

Ur-Fascism grows up and seeks consensus by exploiting and exacerbating the natural fear of difference. The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus Ur-Fascism is racist by definition.

The whole thing is at http://www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_blackshirt.html