America isn't a fascist regime?

Question

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.

From Liberty Forum

for the person who wanted the link: http://www.secularhumanism.org/library/fi/britt_23_2.htm

Answer 1

Well, this list is certainly thought-provoking. I wonder how extreme these things must be to qualify a nation, and I wonder how many of these things are needed to qualify them as fascists. There are certainly a few you can see quite clearly in the way the US is being led today!

I think that the US is really not a fascist country, but it's good to look at this list, especially as it pertains to nationalism and national security concerns ("in these troubled times...") and scapegoats, and make sure that in the future we become less like this list! I have been concerned, and I know a lot of people have been, that national security is getting in the way of individual rights, and I have been concerned that people seem so willing to give up their rights for security measures that may or may not work. After all, I love the US, but what I love about it is the spirit of independence and the individual rights that are granted to all people in the Constitution. I love that we have checks and balances, and I hate to see these checks and rights broken or even bent a little, it is very un-American.

I do wish you had put a link to the research online or stated the name of the book/journal/whatever where it's published, I am interested in how the research was carried out. If you could add it in details I'd appreciate it.

Answer 2

This is propaganda, of the worst and most transparent sort, but it certainly seems to suck in the gullible fools among us. QED.

It's sad that it must be pointed out that it is painfully obvious that this guy started with the conclusion that we are a fascist state (an absurd lie) and manufactured vague enough points to support his conclusion. Heck, the US was more fascistic under FDR, complete with concentration camps, than it is under Bush.

Points 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, and 14 are not relevant or applicable to the US, unless you distort and twist the truth beyond recognition.

1. There's nothing wrong with patriotism, especially when you've been attacked! The US was quite patriotic for a number of years after December 7, 1941, too. Did that make us fascists then? I would also like to point out the high patriotic feelings of the Hungarians and Czechoslovakians who rose up against their Soviet oppressors in the 1950's. They were far from being fascist. This is a bogus claim.

7. National security should be an obsession of the government!! We were attacked at home by terrorists, with 3,000 dying in a single day. This displayed an alarming vulnerability to attacks. Following 9/11, both parties were a bit obsessed with national security. For a good reason, don't you think?

12. Is there something wrong with being for law enforcement and punishment of criminals? Can the jackass who wrote this lameass list, or any of the true believers, cite a single instance of increased law enforcement powers beyond the traditional ones? Police have no more power, nor do the FBI (national police). Heck, they can only wish they had the powers of the gendarmerie in France or the carabinieri in Italy, where they can arrest you without even probable cause, and where you are guilty until proven innocent.

Answer 3

No. Because:

1. Flags have been flown since our countries inception. It is not propaganda.
2. We have a high value for human rights. Even in war we target military not civilians. Unlike our enemies.
3. Our enemies are not scapegoats. They only want us dead. We have a right ot survival.
4. even though our military budget is high. Our living level is much higher than fascist regemes such as Iran and North Korea.
5. We are by far not sexist. We have a female secratary of state. And other females in high offices.
6. We have freedom of the press. The NYT is a good example.
7. National security is a big issue but not one to insteal fear in the masses.
8. Freedom of religion is one of our main constitutional freedoms.
9. More and mor corporations are being brought to thier knees by corruption and facing major penalties. Ex. Enron.
10. We have many unions that have allot of power that would not be able to be extinguished as easily as thought.
11. We have a large higher education structure that is well respected.
12. We have examples of police getting charged and jailed for overstating thier powers and or abuse.
13. Cronyism has always been a part of politics. I feel though that it is less prevalent in the US than in many other countries.
14. I know people say that the president stole the 2000 election. But I feel it could not be further from the truth. The election was a wake up call for people to vote. The people that say "My vote doesn't count" should realize that it does count. Every vote counts.

Answer 4

I don't think a lot of this stuff can be pinned specifically on Bush OR Cheney... the health care system has been the way it is for longer than they have been in office I'm pretty sure outsourcing jobs was done before they took office I fail to see how a rise in crime in our own country goes directly back to them I thought the drug abuse was more attributed to Limbaugh than Bush or Cheney? Global warming/climate change has been in the news for decades. the housing issue has more to do with the lending institutions being too lenient, than it does specifically with Bush and Cheney I'm looking forward to seeing who will be next in office, and for the majority of our troops to come home. It will be awhile until either happens though...

Answer 5

I agree it isn't. Displaying flags etc is not facist it is nationalistic. There is no problem with this, the problem with the other countries you mentioned is the disrespect given to everyone else.

Plus if it was Fascist as you defined you wouldn't be able to even ask the question.

Answer 6

america is indeed a Fascist regime, they speak of democracy but they dont practise it ,they have millions of homeless people and its the most rated crime country in the world and they go out criticizing other countries without trying to solve their own problems, like in iraq they the money and effort they have spent could have solved their problems .

Answer 7

I've been thinking along those lines, myself.
I'm hoping that people will have enough sense to get someone a little less fascist into that office next time.

Answer 8

What is your Question

First get it through your head that Neofascism is the New Red State agenda. We are hot and you are not.

Go big Red Go

Answer 9

Sounds like California to me.

Answer 10

yawn,you are preaching to the choir.you have a solid point but it will not change any ones mind here