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valarltdIn "Fascism Anyone?," Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, identifies 14 characteristics common to fascist regimes. (I've trimmed some for brevity, follow the link to the original article)
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.
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."
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
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.
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.
7. Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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
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.
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.
7. Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 08:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 09:01 am (UTC)Um... You guys don't know me but
Date: 2003-10-17 02:53 pm (UTC)***
People with plane tickets to the US really should come back some another time. Visit Canada for now — some of my American friends are already living there.
Re: Um... You guys don't know me but
Date: 2003-10-17 03:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 09:23 am (UTC)I was born during the most ruthless period of the fascist military dictatorship in Brazil. Believe me, you don't want to travel that road.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 09:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 09:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 01:12 pm (UTC)Doubleplusungood!
Date: 2003-10-17 02:39 pm (UTC)And, even scarier:
Date: 2003-10-17 02:59 pm (UTC)Also, this (http://www.livejournal.com/users/grumpy_sysadmin/16208.html).
Re: And, even scarier:
Date: 2003-10-17 04:01 pm (UTC)But Iraq was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Coupled with all the other crap. Does Canada need school teachers and librarians you think?
no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 04:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-10-17 05:37 pm (UTC)Fear is something that Michael Moore also focuses on in his documentary, and the fear that the american people have for not only strangers, but their own next of kin and their loved ones.
Fear is something that is not very individual, since it's controlled by our emotions and instinct, and of course the group mentality affects everyone.
I don't think that one should abandone fear; it is necessary for our survival, but to learn that everyone have at least some amount of the same fear, could be soothing, I think.
It's scary that almost (I think) all of those characteristics apply to the US regime, though they are not burning copies of Stupid, White Men and the Koran just yet.
I think, unfortunately, that it's only a matter of time :(
no subject
Date: 2003-10-18 12:59 am (UTC)I watched the first part with slight disinterest as that bird from ER was Mary Sueing all over the place and boring the drawers off me, but the second part - oooooohhhh boy. The paralells were getting truly chilling. The Enabling Act (Patriot Act), Hitler's speech on 'terrorism' after the Burning of the Reichstag (9/11), the continued fucking with the democratic process (The Florida election. The California recall). It was very uncomfortable viewing to see the scapegoatism, paranoia and erosion of free speech slotting into place and setting up the apparatus of totalitarianism.
Tasteless, maybe. A chilling warning from history, definitely.
no subject
Date: 2003-10-20 11:50 am (UTC)I know I've also seem some conservatives deploring the way liberals are calling Bush etc. "fascist" -- Godwin's law, y'know -- without considering how well the shoe fits.