The Defining Characterisitics of Fascism

Dr. Lawrence Britt examined various fascist regimes in recent history around the world such as of Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Franco's Spain, Suharto's Indonesia, and several other, lesser known Latin American regimes. From this examination, he came up with 14 defining characteristics (illustrated above) that make up a Fascist regime.

Are we there yet? Here's the explanations Britt offered for each point:

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.

This one is obvious...check.

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.

Bush gave us both Patriot Acts, and Obama affirmed them and even added the power to assassinate American citizens abroad. Check.

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.

There's a difference nowadays, as many of the communists, socialists and liberals in this country are every bit the fascists of today. Perhaps Dr. Britt is another one of those who believes that Fascism is a right-wing ideology. Fascist regime use the left-right dialectic to maintain it's control over a divided populace. The Democrat liberals, communists and socialists in America today are just as fascist as the neo-cons, fundamentalist, capitalist Republicans.

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.

Check.

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.

Ok, I suspected that Britt is/was a leftist...and this feminist talking points confirms it. However, he's not necessarily wrong here either. The traditional fascist regimes he studied - especially Germany, Italy and Spain - all had a racial component involved. As the leaders of those regimes who governed their respective countries, they definitely promoted "rigid traditional gender roles." This is because they were advocating nationalism to largely heterogeneous nations. Breed more Germans for Germany...more Italians for Italy...more Spaniards for Spain.

Our modern, 21st century Fascist America certainly has it's own rampant sexism - and it's the precise opposite of what Britt describes. The government of our fascist nation is exclusively FEMINIST dominated. It's an exercise in idiocy to simply look at the gender of a nation's leaders and declare them to be "MALE" or "FEMALE" dominated. No, look at what laws are enacted, what policies are promoted, and for whom they benefit. Our current Fascist regime is definitely feminist dominated...and the sexism they promote is one in which traditional gender roles have been largely overturned and rendered obsolete. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are celebrated and promoted, and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the FEMINIST institution...the single mother household.

Since Britt is obviously a leftist, I'm sure he assumes that most people read "Sexism" and think of misogynistic men abusing and exploiting the womynz by keeping them barefoot and pregnant in the kitchens making sammiches.

Ahhh, but the rampant sexism of today is really the misandrist feminists and manginas who exploit the menz by keeping them in forced labor for child support, alimony, and ever-increasing taxes to pay for wealth redistribution schemes to subsidize the single mother household.

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.

Check.

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

Have you had the opportunity yet to make your latest choice in the name of National Security? Did you choose radiation or sex assault?

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.

Of course, while the corporate mass media and public schools all brainwash the masses to think that we live in a country for which the separation of church and state is one of the greatest indicators of freedom..what we really have is a Government intertwined with the secular-humanist-liberal religion. The rhetoric, terminology used to manipulate the public opinion are all based on globalist, communitarian, sustainable, equal and multi-cultural. Instead of exhorting the masses to think "What Would Jesus Do?," the mantra is now anything found at Stuff White People Like.

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.

In my opinion, this is the most significant characteristic of a fascist regime. It actually works in precise conjunction with no. 13, Rampant Cronyism and Corruption. Corporate power is protected, because the corporate interest are the very power that is behind the cronyism and corruption.

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.

More evidence that Britt is a leftist incapable of seeing how the left-right divide is effectively used by the fascist regime. Labor unions are no threat to our current fascist government. They've been harnessed quite effectively to keep the masses of unionized workers firmly stuck in their socio-economic class and easily exploited by the Corporations.

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.

Not in 2010. The intellectuals and the arts of academia are now bastions of fascism. Of course, they don't think so...it's because they are thoroughly entrenched in the left side of the dialectic, they think they are opposing fascism...unknowingly contributing their part as useful idiots in implementing the goals of  the fascist state.

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.

Under the guise of wars on terror and wars on drugs, we've now almost completely militarized our nation's police forces and have allowed them to violate the Constitutional rights of the citizenry at will.

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.

This one and number 9 need to be numbers one and number two on this list. Check.

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.

 Check.

So of the 14 characteristics of a Fascist nation, I think it's safe to say, America (and the rest of the Western Countries) has been subverted and converted into a Fascist state.

We are all Fascists now.