← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Rainman
Thread ID: 6986 | Posts: 9 | Started: 2003-05-29
2003-05-29 18:05 | User Profile
Fourteen Defining Characteristics Of Fascism By Dr. Lawrence Britt Source Free Inquiry.co 5-28-3
Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2003-05-30 04:01 | User Profile
Originally posted by Rainman@May 29 2003, 14:05 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.
Sounds very familiar. I see these things when I turn on the television or take a drive to the mall. Lots of patriotic slogans abound, like "Don't Mess with the U.S."--even as the U.S. takes it upon itself to mess with every other nation on the globe.
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.
U.S.A. P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act...Department of Homeland Security...FISA secret courts/blank-check warrants....
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 media tells us it's "the terrorists," "Saddam," "Iran and Syria," "the militias," "neo-Nazis," "anti-Semites," 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.
They just created a North American Command. And you support our troops, don't you? [they say you'd better!]
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.
The particular form of "fascism," as this list defines it, in America today seems to be run by the exact opposite of the groups listed. Here in this country, school kids are forced to read "Heather Has Two Mommies" style books, and women are constantly on the lookout to turn males in to the PC-Police. Abortion is one of the official, state-sanctioned, ritual blood sacrifices to the gods of liberalism and "choice."
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.
The Jews control the mass media: [url=http://www.natvan.com/who-rules-america]Who Rules America [investigative report][/url]
**7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses. **
This one's a corollary of #'s 2, 3, and 4 above.
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.
The State Religion is Equality, and one of the dominant sects of that religion is Holocaustianity.
**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. **
Dick Cheney...Halliburton...Enron....
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.
NAFTA and GATT....
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.
Professor Al-Arian was carted away for saying unfavorable things about the Jews. Others have come under fire at times for saying un-PC things, such as Dr. J. Philippe Rushton and the late Dr. Glayde Whitney, who both have documented how the races are inherently unequal, with the Negro generally falling short by Western standards.
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.
See #2 above.
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.
The CFR and Trilateral Commission "revolving door" into government.
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.
Florida, 2000.
Also note the way third party efforts are smeared and sabotaged (Buchanan, et al.).
2003-05-30 19:26 | User Profile
Fascism cleans up a country suffering from riff-raff. Look at Argentina, late 1970s. It went from a Marxist sewer to a paradise in a few years. Funny what happens when White men [largely] FORCEFULLY control a culture.
You can't vote your way to a good culture. Good cultures must usually be forced, e.g. Nazi Germany. The only way America will return to her cultural glory is by force, i.e. a Nazi-style government forcing cultural change in America, wiping out all non-White art, literature, ideas, customs.
When I'm appointed Minister of Culture in 2030, I'll remember some of the folks here at OD.....heheheh...
2003-06-01 06:46 | User Profile
A through analysis PaleoconAvatar!
2003-06-01 06:55 | User Profile
Originally posted by Rainman@Jun 1 2003, 02:46 ** A through analysis PaleoconAvatar! **
Thanks. AY is quite right about the Trotskyite bias of the examples given in that piece. It's much better now that it's been run through a special right-wing "ideological adapter." :lol:
2003-06-01 07:10 | User Profile
Originally posted by Franco@May 30 2003, 13:26 ** Look at Argentina, late 1970s. It went from a Marxist sewer to a paradise in a few years. Funny what happens when White men [largely] FORCEFULLY control a culture. **
Argentina is a hell hole. Always has been, always will be.
Worse than that, its inhabitants cheat at football and prefer to put the ball in with their hand rather than play the "beautiful game" with their feet.
f*ck 'em!
2003-06-01 07:35 | User Profile
Worse than that, its inhabitants cheat at football and prefer to put the ball in with their hand rather than play the "beautiful game" with their feet.
[img]http://www.tifonet.it/soccer/maradona_hand_of_god_86.gif[/img]
He never touched it! :lol:
2003-06-02 19:44 | User Profile
Rainman aka Heretic, here's your Liberty Forum thread.
[url=http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=news_constitution&Number=642109&page=&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=21&part=all&vc=1&t=-1]Liberty Forum - The Fourteen Defining Characterstics of Fascism[/url]
2003-06-02 19:50 | User Profile
Originally posted by AntiYuppie@May 30 2003, 20:33 ** Since the article was obviously written by a Trotskyite or somebody sympathetic to Trotskyism, it combines a list of characteristics shared by generic authoritarian and totalitarian regimes without regard to ideology with a list of characteristics one associates with rightwing ideology.
**
Yeah, you know it sounds quite similar to the characteristics of "Rightwing Authoritarianism" of the American Jewish Congress's Frankfurt School Studies in Prejudice series, from books like The Authoritarian Personality. Which of course is what we'd expect from modern liberals.