14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism

[Hoss]

Guido, please feel free to close your ears, I'm passing gas again.

http://www.rense.com/general37/char.htm

Seriously, though, read this and tell me if there are similarities there.

[Red Arrow]

Chicago politics?

Seriously, several of the 14 items are probably healthy if not taken to an extreme.

[we vs us]

Chicago politics?

Seriously, several of the 14 items are probably healthy if not taken to an extreme.

Um, which ones?

[Hoss]

Chicago politics?

Seriously, several of the 14 items are probably healthy if not taken to an extreme.

These look more like Tea Party attributes, but I'm not surprised you'd be making a dig at Chicago.

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.

[Red Arrow]

Um, which ones?

Um, look a bit beyond the titles and moderate them a bit.

I'll give you a start.

Patriotism can be used for good.  
Americans give aid to countries hit by natural disasters, even countries that are normally our adversaries.  We are the good guys. Put an American flag on a bag of food.
"Made in America" (and just for you union guys, "by Union Labor").
Use patriotism as a cry to act as we (would) like to see ourselves.   Use it to condemn torture, "we Americans don't do that".  

Military:  Anyone here feel like spitting on a WWII Vet?

Controlled Mass Media:  Should the flight plan for Air Force 1 be published in advance?  Hey you guys with stinger missiles and such, Obama will be overhead at 1320. Should be on final approach, low enough to hit.


Get the idea?

[Red Arrow]

I'm not surprised you'd be making a dig at Chicago.

I did that just for you.   

See items 13 and 14.

[Hoss]

I did that just for you.   

See items 13 and 14.

Doesn't bother me either way, just proves a point...number 3, actually.

[Red Arrow]

These look more like Tea Party attributes,

See item 3 and add Tea Party to the list right after liberals.

[Hoss]

See item 3 and add Tea Party to the list right after liberals.

Last I checked though most 'libruls' didn't carry firearms to rallies.  Openly carry them.  And last I checked most 'libruls' weren't discussing '2nd Amendment remedies' when talking about how government should be handled.

[Red Arrow]

Last I checked though most 'libruls' didn't carry firearms to rallies.  Openly carry them.  And last I checked most 'libruls' weren't discussing '2nd Amendment remedies' when talking about how government should be handled.

Which item # was that?

[Hoss]

Which item # was that?

We're still on 3...about the 'elimination of a perceived threat'.

My point being is that the TPers 'word drop' on their signs things like 'Fascism' and 'Naziism' (if they get spelled right) without really knowing what they're talking about.

And I thought you said you didn't align with the Tea Partiers RA...seems an awful lot like you're defending them.  I'm not saying all of them are like this.  But the extreme ones are much more extreme than say extremist Liberals.  Might be because they have the Kochs funding them.

[Red Arrow]

We're still on 3...about the 'elimination of a perceived threat'.

My point being is that the TPers 'word drop' on their signs things like 'Fascism' and 'Naziism' (if they get spelled right) without really knowing what they're talking about.

And I thought you said you didn't align with the Tea Partiers RA...seems an awful lot like you're defending them.  I'm not saying all of them are like this.  But the extreme ones are much more extreme than say extremist Liberals.  Might be because they have the Kochs funding them.

Looks to me like you are pretty heavy on eliminating the perceived threat of the Tea Partiers.  You are entitled to your liberal opinion that extreme Tea Partiers are more extreme than extreme liberals.  People with stupid signs show up everywhere.  The Tea Partiers are getting the attention recently.

I believe I said somewhere on here that I am not a card carrying member of the Tea Party.  That doesn't instantly make me a liberal. 

[Ed W]

There are no words.

[Gaspar]

LOL!  Lawrence Britt.

1.  Not a doctor.

2. Not a political scientist.

3. He was actually a fired corporate executive wrote and published a bad novel about the future of a country controlled by conservatives, titled June 2004.  He was angry at the company that fired him and the country he lived in. 

4. When June 2004 actually rolled around he was featured in the magazine Free Inquiry to fill space, and because the title of his angry book was related to the date.

5. As the liberosphere started to worship him, a "Dr." was added to his name and eventually a "PHD."  Soon he achieved the title of "Political Scientist."  Obviously an honorary degree. LOL!

6. His "14 Points" use negative aspects that exist to some extent in every country and don't naturally relate to fascism.

7. He leverages anger that is shared by most anarchists against organized systems and has become a favorite of the fringe liberalites who have awarded gospel-like qualities to his writing.

I love it everytime this dude's stuff gets cited on blogs.  He represents!

[nathanm]

6. His "14 Points" use negative aspects that exist to some extent in every country and don't naturally relate to fascism.

The other stuff you wrote may or may not be true, but this isn't, to a large extent.