The title says it all. The terms 'fascist' and 'socialist' are thrown around a LOT over here in America, mostly by people who have zero idea of the actual definitions of these words, and the context in which they should be used. The following fourteen characteristics of Fascism come from Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist who has studied the fascist regimes of the modern era, including Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's Italy, Franco's Spain, and Pinochet's Chile. What follows are the things all of these regimes have in common, and are identifying characteristics of what defines Fascism. I will also include pertinent examples for each one as to why the US Republican party, as it stands right now, is full-blown fascist. They're not even trying to hide it anymore, as a lot of these are fairly obvious and self-explanatory to anyone who lives here.
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.
--This one is pretty obvious, what with all the calls for true patriots to stand for your country, flags/hats/shirts sold everywhere with patriotic slogans like "America the Beautiful" plastered all over them, bumper stickers that proclaim 2nd Amendment rights (incorrectly, for the most part), stickers that encourage true patriots to reclaim our heritage from "da eebil Obama", etc. etc. It's all quite tedious when you see it all over the place here.
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.
--All I have to say is: the PATRIOT Act, and the TSA. The Transportation Security Authority in this country have systematically been granted supreme power inside airport terminals, to the point where racial profiling (despite vehement counterclaims), and complete disregard for personal privacy are considered normal and acceptable by most. I'm sorry, but I really don't feel any safer after Chuckles the bullshit guard has completely fondled my junk to make sure I'm not carrying any hidden bombs there. I feel disturbed, humiliated, and outraged, and yet nothing is done thanks to Republican inspired fear of the "enemy".
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.
--This one is also pretty self-explanatory. First it was terrorists. Terrorists were going to blow up the entire country, including Ma and Pa Johnson on their farm down the road. The amount of racism exhibited by "good Republicans", especially in the South, is still supremely appalling to any thinking individual. Shit, even the conservative politicians are no longer ashamed to create bills that are blatantly racist. This is not even close to the only group being persecuted. Gays in the US are the major "threat" to "traditional values", which only conservative idiots consider worth holding on to. Atheists are also held as a threat to the Christian faith, simply because we require evidence of claims. In Pat Robertson's diseased brain, we're waging a "war" on the Evangelicals, because they can't walk around anymore and treat everyone like shit in the name of God. Now they have to explain their shitty behavior, and that makes us the bad guys.
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.
--Do I really need to explain this one? The US spends more on our military than the NEXT 26 COUNTRIES COMBINED, 25 of whom are our ALLIES. That accounts for about 60% of all US spending, the other 40% is for everything else, including infrastructure, medicare, social security, etc. This is at a time when our country is considered the worst off of any First World nation, supremely high poverty rates, shitty healthcare, and insane costs for basic needs. This is done by design too, so that poor, dumb yokels (mostly Southerners) will be subjected to such poverty that they feel the only way to survive is to (surprise surprise) JOIN THE ARMY. Recruitment posters all over the place. It's ridiculous.
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 antigay legislation and national policy.
--This has also been very much in the news, with all those nutjob midwestern Senators calling for anti-abortion legislation in the name of Jeebus, and forcing women to have rape babies, while simultaneously denouncing the coverage of contraception by insurance as "immoral and an attack on Christianity". In traditionally red states, there are constant attempts to keep marriage to Christians, and not let anyone else have the benefits (by anyone else, meaning LGBT and us evil atheists), and women in these "traditional" marriages are supposed to be good little 1950's housewives and let the man do the thinking for them. It's disgusting, and again, no shame felt for being a bigoted asshole anymore.
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.
--Rupert Murdoch. The man is unethical, greedy to the point of insanity, and owns Fox, the Wall Street Journal, etc. He gives millions in campaign contributions to conservative politicians to support all of the things detailed above, as well as protecting him and his rich buddies from having to pay their fair share in taxes. Millions upon millions of people watch Fox "News", and thus are the MOST misinformed idiots on the entire PLANET. The amount of lies that are spread in the name of the Republican party is sickening, and this man controls it all. He scratches conservative officials backs, and they scratch his with deregulation, tax breaks, and pretty much anything he wants.
7. Obsession with National Security -- Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
--Department of Homeland Security. 'Nuff said.
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.
--Mike Huckabee, presidential aspirant and crazy Christian pastor. Rick Santorum, who vowed to bring God back to government like the Founding Fathers intended (they didn't). Mitt Romney, who swore to defend the institution of marriage from those godless gays, because after all, they aren't really people, right? I could go on and on and on, but I think you guys get the point.
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.
--Again, very obvious to anyone paying attention. The top 1% of Americans own over 70% of the nation's wealth, gained through corporate tax breaks over the last 30 years, government subsidies, and legal exploitation to keep costs/wages to an absolute minimum. The stated reasoning was so that the extra money garnered by these methods could be reinvested into the company, thus boosting the economy. Yeah, that worked out splendidly in 2008, didn't it? /sarcasm. We're also about to see the BIGGEST tax hike in the history of this nation thanks to the Republicans' unbending protection of the wealthy's tax breaks. I think that's the definition of irony, right there.
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.
--Can't have those pesky unions keeping companies paying a livable wage and providing safe work environments, now can we? This is most famously showcased by the recent events in Michigan, with the so-called "right-to-work" bill. It's no accident that the states that already have this legislation in place are also among the poorest. I live in Arizona, and here you can basically be fired for ANY REASON, and you have no recourse. I could get fired tomorrow for wearing a blue shirt to work just because the GM doesn't like the color blue, and it would hold up in court. It's ridiculous, and it's scary, as it gives corporations more control, and worker's rights are practically abolished.
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.
--Seriously, have you seen the news coming from the South? Texas is pushing for other Southern states to adopt their legislated model of teaching bible study as required in public schools (we all know religion makes you dumber, as it stifles your capacity to think critically). As noted above, we fund the military, not the arts. uneducated people are encouraged to view educated people as "arrogant" and "elitist", because we can't have dem nerds thinkin theys better'n us, right?
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.
--I can point to any Occupy protest, where people are in general peacefully protesting (no molotov's being thrown, no one is beaten by the mob, etc.), and riot police show up and start tasing/pepperspraying people indiscriminately, without provocation, detained indefinitely, etc. I can tell you too that a lot of people, generally conservatives, blow off the Occupy movement as "just them lazy hippies not wantin' ta do real work", as said conservative counts his food stamps and welfare checks. They don't care about the abuse of police powers going on, because Fox "News" has told them not to. Just don't dare to say something like "for-profit prisons are bad for justice" or else you'll get an earful about how criminals should be hanged for petty crimes CUZ DEY BROKES DA LAW!
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.
--This is so blatantly obvious that I really shouldn't have to point it out. Republican leaders are thick as thieves in their plotting and scheming to gain more power by putting their like-minded friends in positions of power. Lamar Smith, R-TX, is an obvious example. He tows the party line, and thus gets the Chairmanship of the Science, Space, and Technology committee. This man actively denies PROVEN science, such as climate change and evolution. Why the FUCK do we want this asshole chairing a committee on things he doesn't understand? Well, we don't, but Cronyism keeps him there.
Recently this has been very obviously demonstrated by putting Michelle Bachmann, you know, the psycho retard from the North, on the National Intelligence Committee. Apart from being incredibly ironic, in an OPEN session (eg, one that can be viewed/read by ANYONE), she badgers the CIA director with questions about Benghazi (which no one at the CIA can do anything about, and the situation has already been fucking resolved), to what we're going to do about Syria (which is also not anything the CIA can do shit about), and then starts asking questions about classified plans and intel, to which the CIA director responded by reminding her this is an open session and her requests would be better made in private. It took a while, but the dumb bitch finally got the point and shut her stupid face.
This is what happens when friends appoint friends into powerful positions as a reward for playing ball, not due to any competence at the position. If it weren't so dangerous to have these people doing this, it'd be laughable.
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.
--Lastly, this one should also be fairly self-evident after the last election. Mitt Romney's son owned the company that built the voting machines used in the swing states, and it was later found that those machines had been tampered with to prevent people from voting for Obama. Red state legislatures around the nation are pushing hard for changes to the electoral college so that it goes by district instead of state, despite the fact that Obama won the popular vote as well. This way they can gerrymander to their heart's content and steal elections despite the popular vote AND the electoral college. Instead of, you know, changing what your party stands for to align with the will of the people, let's just cheat, cause that will work.
I want to thank you guys for reading this, I know it was long, but I feel like it's worthwhile and necessary, and hopefully those of you in the US will be encouraged by this to stand up and fight to make things right, and prevent these fascists from stealing this country from intellectual, compassionate, progressive people. I'm going to leave you with an ACTUAL quote by one of our Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, who said:
"When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty."
And no, your AR-15 semi-auto is not going to instill fear in an Abrams platoon, you yokel fuckwit.
That will be all.
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