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14 Characteristics of Fascism
BUSHITLER
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America Has a Problem…a BIG PROBLEM
“The liberty of democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic STATE itself. That, in its essence, is FASCISM – ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any controlling private power.” -- President Franklin Roosevelt
THE IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM
By Dr. Lawrence Britt
Free Inquiry Magazine / Spring 2003
Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, studied the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile). He found the regimes all had 14 things in common, and he calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The article is titled 'Fascism Anyone?', and appears in Free Inquiry's Spring 2003 issue on page 20.
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.
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. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
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 through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, 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. 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 who 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 the assassination of) opposition candidates, the use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and the manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections
The Warnings
“There are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. ...Place before the eyes of such men a post of honor, that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it. The vast number of such places ...renders the British government so tempestuous. ...[and is the true source] of all those factions which are perpetually dividing the nation [and] distracting its councils...” -- Benjamin Franklin
“The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience.” -- Albert Camus: French novelist, essayist, and playwright.1957 Nobel Prize for Literature. 1913-1960
”A great wave of oppressive tyranny isn't going to strike, but rather a slow seepage of oppressive laws and regulations from within will sink the American dream of liberty.” -- George Baumler
”The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.” -- James Madison: US fourth president, 1751-1836
America Has a Problem…a BIG PROBLEM
“The liberty of democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes stronger than their democratic STATE itself. That, in its essence, is FASCISM – ownership of government by an individual, by a group or by any controlling private power.” -- President Franklin Roosevelt
THE IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS OF FASCISM
By Dr. Lawrence Britt
Free Inquiry Magazine / Spring 2003
Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, studied the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile). He found the regimes all had 14 things in common, and he calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The article is titled 'Fascism Anyone?', and appears in Free Inquiry's Spring 2003 issue on page 20.
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.
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. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
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 through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, 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. 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 who 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 the assassination of) opposition candidates, the use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and the manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections
The Warnings
“There are two passions which have a powerful influence on the affairs of men. These are ambition and avarice; the love of power, and the love of money. ...Place before the eyes of such men a post of honor, that shall be at the same time a place of profit, and they will move heaven and earth to obtain it. The vast number of such places ...renders the British government so tempestuous. ...[and is the true source] of all those factions which are perpetually dividing the nation [and] distracting its councils...” -- Benjamin Franklin
“The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience.” -- Albert Camus: French novelist, essayist, and playwright.1957 Nobel Prize for Literature. 1913-1960
”A great wave of oppressive tyranny isn't going to strike, but rather a slow seepage of oppressive laws and regulations from within will sink the American dream of liberty.” -- George Baumler
”The means of defense against foreign danger historically have become the instruments of tyranny at home.” -- James Madison: US fourth president, 1751-1836
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But this 14 points argument is SILLY. Let me domonstrate by giving 10 characteristics of a dog.
1) A dog has four legs
2) A dog has five claws on each foot
3) A dog is covered with fur
4) A dog gives birth to live young
5) A dog mother feeds her babies with milk
6) A dog has sharp teeth
7) A dog eats meat
8) A dog will hunt and kill live prey
9) A dog has a tail
10) A dog has warm blood
THEREFORE -- this animal I see before me, which satisifies all 10 of these charactersitics, must be a dog << this cat, this fisher, this martin, this fox, this grizzley bear, etc. etc. >>
Of course you can see how silly I have just been. Then why can't you see that this 14 characterisitics piece we see posted over and over again is silly in the same way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandra_Mussolini
the summary of the views of the party she originally belonged to that was most similar to that of her father were:
* advocacy of the third way in between liberal capitalism and social-communism;
* rejection of the party system;
* intransigent anticommunism;
* appeals for a strong executive branch;
* support for aggressive government intervention in the social sphere;
* opposition to the guiding role of superpowers in international politics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movimento_Sociale_Italiano
Does this define the modern meaning of the word fasicm? Of course not since aside from the genocide and totalitarianism the pollicies of a Hitler and a Mussolini were not identical.
Modern self described neoNazis in Europe and the US seem to define themselves by their opposition to immigration, desire for a return to "traditional values", support for segregation by ethnicty and antiSemitism.
There is an unfortunate need for comparsions in political dialogue with everyone defining those they dislike to be similar to those everyone dislikes.
To say that basic civil rights, equality and the lives of those in the military are all threated by Bush's stupidity isnt as strong as if one were to say he is acting like a Nazi or acting like a fascist.
As WWII moves further into the past there is something a bit anachronistic about such word usages. Hollocaust denial means one is a neoNazi (and suggests support for future genocides) but denial of the Armenian genocide in the 50s (maybe as different in time from when the genocide happened as WWII is from today) was common among supporters of Turkey and still doesnt carry the same associations. When Iran talks about the Hollocaust it definitely rings of antiSemitism but when Turkish groups pressure US institutions to ignore the Turkish genocide of Armenians its seen as ethnic pride and wanting to hide from the past rather than as a sign of a desire to repeat it. While Israel does play a lot into modern antiSemitism I wonder how much the taboo nature of the Nazis increases their appeal and thus helps create the craziest of the neoNazi groups. Serbia, Rwanda, Cambodia, and Russia all had their mass killings and there are plenty of people who deny or apologize for those actions (Putin had giant pictures of Stalin all over Moscow during Bush's 2005 visit) but even among the worst deniers one doesnt get that hint of a desire to repeat the denied attrocities that one gets from neoNazis.
One feature of "fascism" that is exceptional is the use of high technology and psychological theory to keep people's minds permanently warped out of joint, but even this is not new. This is the function historically served by religion, certainly by Christianity in Europe. This got screwed up by the pesky social movements called "the Renaissance," "the Enlightenment," and "modernity" -- a critical mass of people reached a level of sophistication such that religion could no longer decieve or control them. That is, the monarchal set's theory of control became obsolete and thus mass culture wriggled loose and started calling the shots.
"Fascism" is the monarchal set finally catching up with modernity and, through the orchestrated use of scientific theory and high technologies, finally containing it, i.e. reimposing a social order that benefits only them. As such it's a straightforward regression to a very ancient type of class dictatorship, but one that psychologically enslaves people more profoundly than ever before, severely and systematically manipulating them away from self-interest. In the case of Western Europeans, "fascism" is a return to patterns that haven't been seen in hundreds of years, so we don't recognize them.
In other words it's a grave mistake to set "fascism" apart from the rest of political history as if it's some freaky unique new thing. Exceptionalism is stupid. Historical exceptionalism is no different. Class dictatorship and slavery have never ceased to be civilization's fundamental order. They just went vaguely underground for a few hundred years, meanwhile casting about for a way to return to the good old days. They finally found it.
All this is consistent with some stuff Mussolini said:
...Fascism [is] the complete opposite of…Marxian Socialism, the materialist conception of history of human civilization can be explained simply through the conflict of interests among the various social groups and by the change and development in the means and instruments of production.... Fascism, now and always, believes in holiness and in heroism; that is to say, in actions influenced by no economic motive, direct or indirect. And if the economic conception of history be denied, according to which theory men are no more than puppets, carried to and fro by the waves of chance, while the real directing forces are quite out of their control, it follows that the existence of an unchangeable and unchanging class-war is also denied - the natural progeny of the economic conception of history. And above all Fascism denies that class-war can be the preponderant force in the transformation of society....
After Socialism, Fascism combats the whole complex system of democratic ideology, and repudiates it, whether in its theoretical premises or in its practical application. Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a majority, can direct human society; it denies that numbers alone can govern by means of a periodical consultation, and it affirms the immutable, beneficial, and fruitful inequality of mankind, which can never be permanently leveled through the mere operation of a mechanical process such as universal suffrage....
...Fascism denies, in democracy, the absurd conventional untruth of political equality dressed out in the garb of collective irresponsibility, and the myth of "happiness" and indefinite progress....
...The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question cannot be the individual, but the State alone....
...For Fascism, the growth of empire, that is to say the expansion of the nation, is an essential manifestation of vitality, and its opposite a sign of decadence.
-- from the 1932 Italian Encyclopedia