duncvis
Veteran
Joined: 10 Sep 2004
Age: 48
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,642
Location: The valleys of green and grey
10 Jun 2005, 9:40 am
Does any of this seem scarily familiar to anyone else, in the light of certain Western governments' actions and leanings since 9/11? 
Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist, wrote an article about fascism which appeared in Free Inquiry magazine, a journal of humanist thought. Dr. Britt 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’ of 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 government if 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 motivation 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 in 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.
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) the 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.
10 Jun 2005, 9:47 am
10 Jun 2005, 10:01 am
10 Jun 2005, 10:04 am
10 Jun 2005, 10:21 am
BlackLiger
Veteran
Joined: 21 Apr 2005
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,525
Location: My Posh Leather Chair. England.
10 Jun 2005, 10:31 am
10 Jun 2005, 10:34 am
Its true that every generate says these things about their times...but I think its gone to a new level. Of course, people in other times thought so too. 
The patriot act *is* new and is scary. I'm not sure the governement has ever before had the right to look and see what books one checks out unless they had just cause...now its just because they want to see it...its my understanding that the sepenas were blanket ones...get to look at everyone's records just because in case.
I am uncortable will holding people without charging them. It smacks of being guilty until proven innocent. I was listening to a radio broadcast and an attorney for the government was saying the people in Getama Bay were there not so much to be interagated but to keep them locked up as they were dangerous. Well, how do we know that before they go to trial?
BeeBee
10 Jun 2005, 10:40 am
10 Jun 2005, 11:23 am
10 Jun 2005, 1:56 pm
synx13
Pileated woodpecker
Joined: 4 Jul 2004
Gender: Female
Posts: 175
Location: California Central Valley
10 Jun 2005, 5:12 pm
Leaving to where? Canada? Even that place is having problems; we're running out of places to run. I think the best thing to do is to destroy the ability of corporations to advertise so sadistically. Even religion is just another advertising technique these days, to convince people to buy, convince people to consume, convince people to vote a certain way, and convince them of their own inferiority. It's advertising that is taking our civilisation down hard. From the disguising of factory farmed pigs with pretty wrapping and labels, to the demonizing of all protestors as Terrorists, it's all advertising. From the false dichotomy of Left and Right, to the sensationalist flashy, news laden response to the Tsunami, when people in Africa can't even get first aid or potable water. It's all advertising.
The billions of dollars, hours, and watts spent to design and culture the perfect mass psychology has destroyed the validity of Democracy itself. When the masses of citizens are stubborn and sculpted by their shows, and the few who cry out against the oppression are easily contradicted with blatant lies, then any vote will go not to the right outcome, but to the result that benefit the rich, and hurt the poor. The US has an oligarchy now (hey, how about that college tuition haha go back to McDonaldswork, moneyless scum), and I fear it will then proceed toward either feudalism or worse, fascism. But going to Canada won't help that, as blessed nice people Canadians are. The only thing that can save us now is to destroy advertising.
Just some words from an inside outsider... 
10 Jun 2005, 6:51 pm
10 Jun 2005, 7:15 pm
10 Jun 2005, 7:27 pm
10 Jun 2005, 8:04 pm
10 Jun 2005, 9:09 pm
