From the June 2003 issue of Der Arbeter Briv, the newsletter from the Los
Angeles Chapter of the Workman's Circle.

Fascism, Anyone? - 14 Characteristics of Fascism

by Lawrence Britt, from Secular Humanism, Spring 2003 (Submitted by Marsha
Epstein)

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 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 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 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 funding, and
the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are
glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The government 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
anti-gay legislation and policy.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media are directly controlled by
the government, but in other cases, the media are 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 is 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 with
the 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, or they 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 int he
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 associated 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.

Claudia D. Dikinis
http://starcats.com
Political & Personal Astrology for a New Millennium

"The arc of the universe is long, but it always bends toward justice." -
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.