The 14 Characteristics of Fascism

   The following is an exerpt from "Fascism Anyone?", an article appearing
in the Spring, 2003 issue of "Free Inquiry" magazine written by political
scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt.

    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 characteristics in common, and he calls these the
"identifying characteristics of fascism".

  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.
And there is a country that doesnt do this? 

You mean Norway has its own version of Lee Greenwood and "God Bless the USA". "Holy Father, Watch over Oslo" perhaps? I'm sure nationalism is everywhere but here it's armed to the teeth with monster pickup trucks that I'm constantly stuck behind in traffic.
 

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.
Cuba anyone? Oh no that cant be. Cuba is a Socilaist country isnt it? Didn't Ed Asner say that they are the good guys?

I carry no water for Castro! And I'm sure you are aware of the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay with no Taliban or Al Qaeda connection.

  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.
Like the Jews? Or the Rich? or the Christian Coaltion? Sounds like a place that most lefties would like to live.

Or welfare queens driving their caddys to the supermarket with their food stamps (was that the Reagan Admin.)?
  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.

Would this be the same military where 40 percent of families live on food stamps in favor of the "domestic agenda?"

It's the same military that the Congressional Budge Office states will receive over $400 billion by 2007.

  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.
Hmmm.. Interesting. Especially considering that both abortion and euthanasia were state sanctioned under Hitler.

Dubya really showed his compassion by speaking out against Santorum (NOT)! As for euthanasia, I pray it will be available to me should I ever be so desperate. You should spend some time on an Alzheimers ward, you learn a lot, especially when it is a loved one. If that fate awaits me, I want to control what happens to me.

  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.
Very nice how he throws in things that are impossible to prove or disprove. That said it should be noted that the media outlets who reported the war favorably to the U.S. were RIGHT about everything and the ones that didnt were WRONG. I guess that shows who was telling more truth doesnt it?

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

One tends to focus on National Securtiy a bit more when you are no longer secure. Or was I imagining that little World Trade Center thing?

You mean you don't think national security is being used as a pretense to push other initiatives (reducings rights of Federal employees perhaps)?

  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.
Really? Correct me if I am wrong, but wasnt the Soviet Union and is not China an atheist state? Or dont they count as "fascist" in his opinion because they come from the left side of maniacal, bloddthirsty maniac fold?

Gee, I can't remember another administration that created a White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Don't you just love that euphemism, "Faith-based".
  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.
I am sure that all of the people who had their businesses confiscated and nationalized by Hitler, Castro, Mussolini, Mugabe, Stalin and the rest only lost everything they owned to the state because the relationship was so cozy.

There's nothing cozier than the Bushies and big business as evidenced by the attempts to weaken  the Clean Air Act and wetlands protections (to name but a few).
  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 power was the crux of most of the aforementioned governments. Or did this guy miss that little Russian Revolution thing? These people WERE the labor movement. I am beginning to suspect that whoever wrote this has been spending too much time on the Michael Moore message board and not enought ime reading real books.

Yeah, he went overboard on this one but the average rank and file union guy is no Marxist, he just realizes that he must band together with other likeminded folks if he is to get ahead.
  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.
Not paying for the arts is not "hostility". And again, I would remind you that most of these governments relied quite heavily on the universities to go along with them and advance their agenda. Most of the professors in these cases were true believers, not hostages.

Public funding of the arts is certainly debatable
but you must admit, Bush was playing the anti-intellectual card from the get go, didn't he readily admit how few books he has read as a means of showing he's no pointy headed intellectual, just a "regular guy".

  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.
Sounds alot like the Clinton Administration. Ask Randy Weaver and his daughter about that one.

Well, we did just hit 2 million in prison and isn't Bush working toward the Miranda Rights going the way of the Edsel? This may be the administration to do it.

As to Clinton and company, you're right, they were horrible on civil liberties.

  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.
Name me one government in the world that has never done this and I promise I will move there. Just one.

The Grand Duchey of Fenwick. Actually, you're right, it's gotta be universal.
  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.

We came out good on this one, The Supreme Court stopped the Florida judiciary from manipulating the election. Whew!

Time will tell but I don't think history will view that period as The Supreme Court's finest hour. Of course, it depends on the historian.