14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism for "Schemefighter"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvTzIt8W8cg
This will be a video response, if this person OKs it:

http://www.youtube.com/Schemefighter

In case they don't accept, you can find the video and text forum I'm responding to at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvTzIt8W8cg

So here it is, unaltered transcript from it's online text. There may be typos, but they do not reflect upon me or the original book, but occur only on the online transcript.


The 14 Defining
Characteristics Of Fascism
Free Inquiry
Spring 2003
5-11-3

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 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.

For more info, go to:

www.rense.com/general37/fascism.htm

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Schemefighter
• the
• left's
• character
• assassination
• of
• Rush
• Limbaugh
• Glenn
• Beck
• Fascist
• Liberal
• ad
• hominem
• generalizations

[richardhs]

Even though I like what schemefighter posts this was a legitimate response, unlike what a lot of responses liberals post.

[GeorgeDRange]

Do you think it fair and logical to use universal generalizations like his against the political opposition without bothering to define one's own terms?

I grew up with a political scientist in my household. I was taught that nothing is ever as transparent, simple or black and white as demagogues like schemefighter would have us believe.

I feel that true-believer mindsets any type are potentially dangerous trends which have a tendency to lead to the kind of fascism outlined here.

[ImWilson1]

This is an exchange I had with Old Schemefighter But of course I can no longer post to his video If he is wrong he blocks you out so he is always right.

[GeorgeDRange]

What was your original comment to Schemefighter?

Thanks for sharing! Good to know there's people giving him shit. Please feel free to make this a forum for Schemefighter haters.

Maybe it'll attract his ilk, too.

[DaHonestAbe]

Just so you know, Schemefighter is a rightwing fucktard. That is all!

[sighedeffects]

Thank you - so much. Schemefighter actually blocked me for saying the same thing. I was actually a student of Professor A. James McGregor at UC Berkeley who has been defining and studying Fascism for over half a century - and pointed out that Jonah Goldberg was pseudo academic and anti-academic at the same time.

[ImWilson1]

This was my reply

Eyewitness reports said the missile came from the sea. (Learn Geography)

Kuwatii officials examined the debris and determined from markings that the missile was in fact US.

But I guess you know better than the eye witnesses and the officials.

Have a nice day.

[ImWilson1]

Schemefighter:

ImWilson1: Once again. You fascist liberals show that you are ignorant pathological liars. The missile that hit the Kuwaiti Mall was an Iraqi Seersucker/Silkworm family of missile that nowhere near resembles any class of American cruise missile. I suppose you're also one of those fascist liberal idiots that is trying to subvert the US government with the irrational delusional concept that the WTC was hit by missiles. Yes you are a "moron".

[libertyerian]

:) I'm not old enough for cold war ptsd. my objective was to critic the prevailing method of debate of both conservatives and liberals. They're more of a call to arms for the faithful than a genuine appeal for converts, to borrow some religious right terminology. People who don't come to their own opinions, generally don't like having to defend them.

[GeorgeDRange]

Why that's downright charitable... I think...

Seriously, if you don't generalize and argue subjectively as a rule, I'll listen. Even if your views were diametrically opposed, (it's not) I'll still give someone a shot who will also listen, and be secure about an exchange of ideas. Kind of backwards that we should live in this "free" society , and be afraid of other people's opinions, as if they're contagious. Cold war PTSD, just insecurity or a bit of both?