What is Fascism?
When someone hears the term fascist or fascism, they immediately picture nazi blackshirts goose stepping around. After all, the Nazis are history's most deplorable case of fascism, but one doesn't need to don knee high rider boots or SS regalia to be a fascist. As you will see, there are many subtle forms of fascism as well.
Benito Mussolini started the first fascist party in Italy. According to him "fascism is the merger of corporation and state". Sound familiar? Below are some of the main traits of fascism:
Nationalism - fascists believe that their nation is superior to all others, and due to this they can operate with impunity around the world. They use patriotic slogans, mottos, and popular culture to push nationalism
Militarism - military service and institutions are glorified in all outlets. War is glamorized in movies, games, and television shows. Vast amounts of money are spent on the war machine, even when it becomes a burden on the public. Anti-war activists and protestors are not tolerated, and these movements are quickly crushed.
Civil Rights - fascists destroy the civil rights of the population in the name of keeping the public "safe". "Law and order" trump individuals rights of expression and free choice. Protests and antiestablishment movements are not tolerated.
Group Think - through mass propaganda campaigns, the public at large is trained to think along the same lines and hold the same opinions. Anyone who questions the official narrative is immediately outed as a "conspiracy theorist", "nut job", or "crack pot". This effectively silences dissenters by outing them from the group.
Corporate Power - the corporate elite and aristocracy are in firm control of the government. They pick candidates, write laws, and create a government that enshrines and protects corporate power at all cost. They move seamlessly between seats of corporate and government power in a revolving door system.
Controlled Mass Media - media outlets primary focus is to propagandize the public. The media outlets are controlled either directly by the government or by the elites. The focus is placed on eliciting emotional responses in order to gain consent of the public. Relevant information is suppressed while misinformation and half truths are used to construct narratives. The media is routinely used to discredit and destroy dissenters
Rigged Elections - elections are used as a tool to persuade the public that they have control. Election rules are determined by the fascists with the main intent of maintaining the existing power structure. Voters are suppressed by drawing boundary lines, electoral procedures, disenfranchisement, and rigged vote counting. Debates are severely limited, and candidates outside of the establishment are not allowed in.
Scapegoating - minority groups and other powerless sectors of society are always blamed for the nations problems. Racism and xenophobia are used as divisive instruments. Immigrants, the poor, welfare recipients, foreigners, minorities, and terrorists are used to justify the need for increased military spending and decreased civil liberties.
Destruction of Organized Labor - organized labor is one of the few threats to corporate domination and fascist control. Due to this, labor unions are crushed. Workers are pitted against one another in an attempt to make it difficult to organize. Laws protecting unions and organizers are repealed, and unions are either outlawed or severely diminished.
Law and Order - police are given authority to operate with impunity. National security is used as justification for police abuses, and maintaining law and order trump individual rights. Domestic police forces are turned into paramilitary outfits, operating with no regard to public safety and continually violating human rights with no recourse.
Human Rights Abuses - human rights are routinely diminished under fascist regimes. Groups are painted as "others" in an attempt to remove their human rights. "Enemies" are not afforded basic human rights, justifying abuses such as torture, assassination, extrajudicial killings, and being held without trial. People are no longer seen as fellow human beings but as "animals", "terrorists", and "subhuman".
Religion infiltrates Government - over time religion becomes intertwined with the government. Laws are passed or repealed based on religious beliefs, and the fascists look to create a national state religion.
After reading this, what kind of country would you say we live in?
When someone hears the term fascist or fascism, they immediately picture nazi blackshirts goose stepping around. After all, the Nazis are history's most deplorable case of fascism, but one doesn't need to don knee high rider boots or SS regalia to be a fascist. As you will see, there are many subtle forms of fascism as well.
Benito Mussolini started the first fascist party in Italy. According to him "fascism is the merger of corporation and state". Sound familiar? Below are some of the main traits of fascism:
Nationalism - fascists believe that their nation is superior to all others, and due to this they can operate with impunity around the world. They use patriotic slogans, mottos, and popular culture to push nationalism
Militarism - military service and institutions are glorified in all outlets. War is glamorized in movies, games, and television shows. Vast amounts of money are spent on the war machine, even when it becomes a burden on the public. Anti-war activists and protestors are not tolerated, and these movements are quickly crushed.
Civil Rights - fascists destroy the civil rights of the population in the name of keeping the public "safe". "Law and order" trump individuals rights of expression and free choice. Protests and antiestablishment movements are not tolerated.
Group Think - through mass propaganda campaigns, the public at large is trained to think along the same lines and hold the same opinions. Anyone who questions the official narrative is immediately outed as a "conspiracy theorist", "nut job", or "crack pot". This effectively silences dissenters by outing them from the group.
Corporate Power - the corporate elite and aristocracy are in firm control of the government. They pick candidates, write laws, and create a government that enshrines and protects corporate power at all cost. They move seamlessly between seats of corporate and government power in a revolving door system.
Controlled Mass Media - media outlets primary focus is to propagandize the public. The media outlets are controlled either directly by the government or by the elites. The focus is placed on eliciting emotional responses in order to gain consent of the public. Relevant information is suppressed while misinformation and half truths are used to construct narratives. The media is routinely used to discredit and destroy dissenters
Rigged Elections - elections are used as a tool to persuade the public that they have control. Election rules are determined by the fascists with the main intent of maintaining the existing power structure. Voters are suppressed by drawing boundary lines, electoral procedures, disenfranchisement, and rigged vote counting. Debates are severely limited, and candidates outside of the establishment are not allowed in.
Scapegoating - minority groups and other powerless sectors of society are always blamed for the nations problems. Racism and xenophobia are used as divisive instruments. Immigrants, the poor, welfare recipients, foreigners, minorities, and terrorists are used to justify the need for increased military spending and decreased civil liberties.
Destruction of Organized Labor - organized labor is one of the few threats to corporate domination and fascist control. Due to this, labor unions are crushed. Workers are pitted against one another in an attempt to make it difficult to organize. Laws protecting unions and organizers are repealed, and unions are either outlawed or severely diminished.
Law and Order - police are given authority to operate with impunity. National security is used as justification for police abuses, and maintaining law and order trump individual rights. Domestic police forces are turned into paramilitary outfits, operating with no regard to public safety and continually violating human rights with no recourse.
Human Rights Abuses - human rights are routinely diminished under fascist regimes. Groups are painted as "others" in an attempt to remove their human rights. "Enemies" are not afforded basic human rights, justifying abuses such as torture, assassination, extrajudicial killings, and being held without trial. People are no longer seen as fellow human beings but as "animals", "terrorists", and "subhuman".
Religion infiltrates Government - over time religion becomes intertwined with the government. Laws are passed or repealed based on religious beliefs, and the fascists look to create a national state religion.
After reading this, what kind of country would you say we live in?
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