American Fascism

Classic Liberal

What? That's crazy talk! America isn't fascist.

Are you sure about that?

The word fascism may too often get thrown around as a simple derogatory term, but it does have a specific meaning. Fascism is a political/economic system for organizing society. Fascism has specific, discernible traits. One of which is corporatism (business-government alliance). Let's take a look at the defining characteristics of fascism to see how far down that road America has traveled.

Remember, if it look like a duck and quacks like a duck. It's a duck!

The Defining Characteristics of Fascism

Are we there yet? Here's the explanations Britt offered for each point:

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 obvious...check.

Patriotism and nationalism represent 2 very different things.

In brief, patriotism is a love for one's country, its people, communities, history and traditions. A patriot wants his country to be a blessing to God. Nationalism on the other hand, is a devotion to one's government. Nationalism puts the collective over the individual, the State over the community, and power above liberty. A nationalist expects God to bless his country.

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.

Bush gave us both Patriot Acts, and Obama affirmed them and even added the power to assassinate American citizens abroad. Check.

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.

There's a difference nowadays, as many of the communists, socialists and liberals in this country are every bit the fascists of today. Perhaps Dr. Britt is another one of those who believes that Fascism is a right-wing ideology. Fascist regime use the left-right dialectic to maintain it's control over a divided populace. The Democrat liberals, communists and socialists in America today are just as fascist as the neo-cons, fundamentalist, capitalist Republicans.

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.

Check.

“War and the military are, without question, among the very worst of the earth’s afflictions,” an American conservative of distinction [Robert Nisbet] once wrote, “responsible for the majority of the torments, oppressions, tyrannies, and suffocations of thought the West has for long been exposed to. In military or war society anything resembling true freedom of thought, true individual initiative in the intellectual and cultural and economic areas, is made impossible—not only cut off when they threaten to appear but, worse, extinguished more or less at root. Between military and civil values there is, and always has been, relentless opposition. Nothing has proved more destructive of kinship, religion, and local patriotisms than has war and the accompanying military mind.”

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.

Check.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Have you had the opportunity yet to make your latest choice in the name of National Security? Did you choose radiation or sex assault?

As former Reagan-man Paul Craig Roberts says, "It Is Official: The US Is a Police State."

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.

In my opinion, this is the most significant characteristic of a fascist regime. It actually works in precise conjunction with no. 13, Rampant Cronyism and Corruption. Corporate power is protected, because the corporate interest are the very power that is behind the cronyism and corruption.

See Obama’s Corporatism.

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.

Under the guise of wars on terror and wars on drugs, we've now almost completely militarized our nation's police forces and have allowed them to violate the Constitutional rights of the citizenry at will.

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.

This one and number 9 need to be numbers one and number two on this list. Check.