|
Fourteen Defining Characteristics
Of Fascism
By Dr. Lawrence Britt
Source Free Inquiry.co
5-28-3
Rense.com
http://www.rense.com/general37/char.htm
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:
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." The people tend to look the
other way or even approve of torture, summary executions,
assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
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.
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. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and
the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family
institution.
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 and letters is openly attacked.
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.
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.
From Liberty Forum
http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=news_constitution&Number=642
109&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1&t=-1
MainPage
http://www.rense.com
|
