Fascism Anyone?

What kind of a country do YOU want to live in? If you think
totalitarianism can't happen here, think again....

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:
 
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 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.
 
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.