diff between fascism and leftism?

Question

whats the difference between the two? they both take away your rights. the left takes away your financial freedom by raising taxes across the board. and the with the left's merge with environmentalism, they might start telling us how much toilet paper we can use or how much bottled water we're allowed to buy. in fascism its the same thing, and leftists now are acting like just because bush is in "power" that means america is a fascist state. my rights havent been affected at all. i have more financial freedom because of tax cuts. the left doesnt like being reminded of stalin, does it? over 60 million deaths....bush didnt kill that many. neither did hitler, who the left considers "far-right". I consider him a nationalist socialist.

snoopy, if you know so much about how bush affected my rights, why dont you tell me how he restricted them? i have more freedom than under clinton, where i never had a tax refund. leftists restrict my rights with political correctness.

anoldmick, you didnt provide any answer to back yourself up. you need to consult a mental health professional.

Answer 1

Assuming you are actually interested in a response (and hoping the other responders are wrong), there are several parts to your question.

First, Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on, but not limited to, ethnic, cultural, or racial attributes. A facist is a ruler with unlimited and unfettered power (with which he COULD be benevolent or malevolent, but chooses malevolence). A King can be good for the masses and the country, or simply act to consolidate his own power and wealth. arious scholars attribute different characteristics to fascism, but the following elements are usually seen as its integral parts: nationalism, authoritarianism, statism, militarism, corporatism, populism, totalitarianism, anti-communism, racism and opposition to economic and political liberalism.

Leftisim is not authoritarian. It is part of the political spectrum. It has no voice except in a democracy. Even in socialist countries (e.g., Denmark, with a figurehead monarchy), the people have the power to change their system, and choose the benevolent state.

I am, however, more concerned with your other assertions.

Taking your last point, Hitler was a facist. He insisted that power be vested, entirely, with him. This is why he disbanded the legislature and then replaced it with his own people. His policies were anything BUT socialist. They were elitist,. aagainst equal rights for other ethnic groups and religious groups. This fits facsim to a tee.

But more concerning is your argument that, because Bush is not as bad as Stalin or Hitler, he must be a good guy.

Well, Bush has been responsible for more deaths than Jeffrey Dahmer (cannibal from Milwaukee) and David Berkowitz (mass murderer from New York), and we certainly would not argue that Bush is not as virtuous as those mass murderers.

Similarly, arguing as some do, that what we do to prisoners in Abu Garib or Guantanamo Bay is justified becase Saddam would have treated his prisoners far worse misses the point. When we can justify our actions by saying, essentially "but we are better than the mass-murdering tyrants of the world," it misses the point that we, as Americans under a Constitution protecting individual rights and limiting our government, EXPECT more out of our government.

This is why, just because Bush has not killed 60 million Americans, people can rightly claim that he is a poor president (based on their own values system).

But the beauty is -- it is also why you can argue that he is a great president.

Someday, historians will write the book. But for now, the First Amendment protects us all, as long as we protect the First Amendment.

Answer 2

Fascism has dictator and ruling party that is committed to the few "superior" people in a country, so those who don't follow the party ideas, fall off into poverty and that's tough. Then some groups, often racist or religious or sexuality or nationality are targeted as resistors and they are tortured and killed, There's the usual brainwashing of any totalitarian state with govt. control of media, and the military keeps the country in control. Then when you have a burgeoning lower class of poor people, mostly elderly, women and children as always,
it's sad to watch and the rich in their gated communities with no hearts whatsoever might just as well put them to death.

In a leftist dictatorship, they win over by populist promises, attempt some social reforms like nationalizing businesses and heavy taxationl, so when people don't want to cooperate, they rebel and can be opressed the same way as above. Eventually those with money and drive take their money and run and leave the country with no investments, or if there is any resource that is profitable, just a few in the inner circles of the party benefit. They also imprison people and torture and so on..

My point is that it's not such a linear equation,
If you keep going left, your back to the right again, so a circle is the best graphic. You want to avoid any kind of totalitarian state, and there has to be a delicate equilibrium between keeping investments coming in, while taxing enough to pay to our defense and domestic needs, and allowing people to make most of their own choices to have a democracy.
It doesn't do any country or state any good to let poverty and crime get out of control, nor truancy, undocumented people, nor such nasty pressure on the working class they they can't afford to buy your stuff or pay your rents, then the whole country slides down as education level drops.
I'd also say prevention is cheaper and better than paying for the messes afterwards, in every situation. Examples: crime, education, and health care.

As for the environment, I hope you go on vacation to some beach in a totally polluted country so maybe you'll appreciate the beauty of the earth more. Those silly extreme examples are not going to happen and you know it. Do you enjoy oxygen?
How do you propose paying for the iraq war with lower taxes?
I would like to see a little tax on things made in China. Income should be taxed less, but I'm for "sin" taxes and luxury taxes. Food meds, and clothing under $50 shold be exempt.
I mean, come on, it's expensive to have our miltary and schools, police, firefighters, and infrastructure that makes it possible for us to prosper.
We shouldn 't keep going into debt. Unless they're thinking we'll never really have to pay in the future since the value of the money will be lower or some other Fed tricks.

Answer 3

Taking away rights? I think you should take a look at the bush administration circumventing the Constitution, and try again.

What's the difference between Dictatorship and conservatives? Both believe the rich should get richer and "let the others eat cake", to paraphrase a former Queen of France. Then they tell us if we don't support the Iraqi War, we are cowards and un-American. Then they out a former CIA Agent because someone found out the truth. His administration is getting caught doing criminal acts (see Libby and Attorney General Gonzales), and he is basically stating his administration is above the law. Didn't Dictators and even Hitler believe the same thing?

Of course you love the tax cuts, because the upper Middle-Class and rich received the money. Guess what? Because he decided to go into a needless war in Iraq, you will have to pay it back. The money has to come from somewhere.

And you talk about "the left?"

Answer 4

For years, conservatives saw anything they don't like or anyone the disagree with as 'liberal'. So Hitler was liberal, Stalin was liberal, Pol Pot was liberal, etc. etc. Who could doubt, then, that liberalism was a great evil? Newt Gingrich called President Clinton 'the most liberal president in US History'. This from a guy with a PhD in history! Objectively, Clinton wasn't really very liberal at all. He was to the right of any president I can remember before Reagan. But Gingrich just really didn't like Clinton, so he called him that. Today the word 'liberal' has lost its meaning. It's been worn out like an overused SOS pad. So now even liberals call themselves 'progressive' (which is a better, word anyway, more specific). And Republicans have shifted to using the word 'socialist' for anyone they disagree with or anything they don't like. Obama is a socialist. Hillary is a socialist. Health care reform is 'socialized medicine'. Etc. etc.

Answer 5

Facism is universal and can take any political flavor.

Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on, but not limited to, ethnic, cultural, or racial attributes. Various scholars attribute different characteristics to fascism, but the following elements are usually seen as its integral parts: nationalism, authoritarianism, statism, militarism, corporatism, populism, totalitarianism, anti-communism, racism and opposition to economic and political liberalism.[1][2][3]

Answer 6

Lots of folks have answered, so I'll just give you a link with a chart that shows where fascism and leftism show up in the political spectrum. You may be surprised, they're really at opposite ends. First link is a quiz you can take that will show exactly where you line up:
http://www.politicalcompass.org/
This one bypasses the quiz and goes to analysis page:
http://www.politicalcompass.org/analysis2

Answer 7

You seem to think that by tossing around phrases like "leftists" and "financial freedom" you will impress people with your knowledge when in fact it demonstrates that you know nothing about fascism or leftism. You merely set up straw men when you prattle about taxes, toilet paper and environmentalism. That's why you are losing. That's why you deserve to lose.

Answer 8

The difference between Hitler and the Dalai Lama.

If you never noticed, liberals advocate democracy, freedom, and free speech. Real liberals dislike government that aren't truthful, and that's the real deal right now. No one ever said we [yes, we consists of several people. One misguided soul does not account for the entity he/she attempts to represent.] accused Bush of facism or anything of that sort. A real liberal is advocating the democracy the country idealizes, and that's really what people are fighting for: for our government to live up to its ideals.

Answer 9

This doesn't appear to be a question, it appears to be an ill-conceived rant. Political leanings aside, your assertion that your rights have not be affected "at all" by this administration is just silly. Even Bush doesn't contend that this is true. Get off your soap box.

Answer 10

Here are 14 defining characteristics of Fascism (available from any number of web sites). It only takes a simple look to see that the Fascist model applies more to conservatives than it does liberals.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying

4. Supremacy of the Military

5. Rampant Sexism

6. Controlled Mass Media

7. Obsession with National Security

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined

9. Corporate Power is Protected

10. Labor Power is Suppressed

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption

14. Fraudulent Elections


That is reason conservatives constantly attack the US Constitution and try to amend it. They want to destroy America’s secular democratic republic and replace it with a quasi-theocratic fascist government based on the humanity-hating doctrine of their sadistic God.
They are no different than their Abraham-sired half-brother, conservative Muslims.
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• Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said that God attacked us on 9/11 because he was mad at America.

• Bin-Laden said that God that attacked us on 9/11 because he was mad at America.
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• Bin-Laden claims that God spoke to him and told him to smite America.

• Bush claims that God spoke to him and told him to smite Iraq.
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• Christian fundamentalists believe Bush is God’s instrument and that he is doing God’s work.

• Islamic fundamentalists believe Bin-Laden is God’s instrument and that he is doing God’s work.
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• Bush sends others to do the killing (and to be killed).

• Bin-laden sends others to do the killing (and to be killed).
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• Christian and Islamic fundamentalists both believe (and have the historical pedigrees to prove) in conversion through genocide and see no inconsistency in murdering, raping, torturing, barbequing, and hacking-off body parts as a means to spread their spiritual messages of unconditional love and goodness.