"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
-Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
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Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. [Merriam-Webster]
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The term “fascist” gets tossed around a lot in our political discourse. Rarely is it used to describe someone who adheres to the political philosophy of fascism. Mostly it’s used as an epithet against those with an opposing political viewpoint. Democrats call Republicans “fascists” while Republicans call Democrats “fascists.” Barack Obama is called a “fascist.” Mitt Romney was called a “fascist.” George W. Bush was called a “fascist.” Even Ron Paul has been called a “fascist”!
The confusion surrounding this term arises from the fact that, unlike other political philosophies, fascism is not clearly-defined. Most other ideologies have manifestos that outline their political tenants. Communism has The Communist Manifesto. Nazism has Mein Kampf. Capitalism has The Wealth of Nations. But fascism has no such founding document. Because of this, its tenets have long been debated by historians and sociologists.
During the Bush administration, an article began circulating the internet called “The Fourteen Defining Characteristics of Fascism.” This article is attributed to political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt who allegedly studied various fascist regimes and discovered 14 common characteristics among them.
Because of its vast distribution on the internet, the title of the article varies from “14 Points” to “14 Marks,” and the phrasing of the characteristics themselves also varies. But the 14 are usually listed as follows:
Furthermore, the author who wrote the article does not exist. If Dr. Lawrence Britt were a credible authority on political science, he clearly would have published more than one article on the subject; yet a simple Google search of his name only retrieves variations of his one article and nothing else. No biography of him exists, not even a Wikipedia article!
This is because Dr. Lawrence Britt’s real name is “Laurence Britt,” and he is not a doctor, but a novelist. He only published one novel, June, 2004, and aside from that, his one and only article was published in the May 2004 edition of Free Inquiry Magazine.
As About.com contributor Tom Head explains in his piece on the matter: “This op-ed was forwarded around from inbox to inbox, and readers eventually began putting a ‘Dr.’ in front of his name and referring to him as a political scientist who had compiled the fascism inventory independently of the Bush administration. He had not done so, and had never claimed to do so. The article was, and had always been intended to be, an argument against the Bush administration.”
However, while Britt is not a real political scientist, and his article is not a real credible source, a real historical analysis of fascism was compiled nearly 60 years prior to Britt’s piece.
In 1944, John T. Flynn published As We Go Marching. Unlike “Dr.” Britt, Flynn was a well-renowned journalist and political commentator who wrote for publications such as The New Republic, Harper's Magazine, and Collier's Weekly. (Also unlike Britt: he has a Wikipedia article! Flynn: 1, Britt: 0.)
In his book, Flynn analyzed the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini and listed eight common characteristics between them. His “Eight Marks of Fascism” are as follows:
His book is recommended for anyone curious about the history and ideology of fascism. An e-book version can be downloaded from the Mises Institute.
Those who don't have the time to read an entire book can read Lew Rockwell’s article “The Fascist Threat.” In it, Rockwell alludes to Flynn’s “Eight Marks” to provide a condensed analysis of fascism while also offering a scathing critique of the Bush and Obama administrations.
Both pieces are highly recommended to those who wish to understand fascism and what implications it has today.
Because if you insist on calling other people "fascist," it's best that you understand what the word and the ideology behind it means; otherwise, you might as well be calling them "doo-doo heads."
-Inigo Montoya, The Princess Bride
************
Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. [Merriam-Webster]
************
The term “fascist” gets tossed around a lot in our political discourse. Rarely is it used to describe someone who adheres to the political philosophy of fascism. Mostly it’s used as an epithet against those with an opposing political viewpoint. Democrats call Republicans “fascists” while Republicans call Democrats “fascists.” Barack Obama is called a “fascist.” Mitt Romney was called a “fascist.” George W. Bush was called a “fascist.” Even Ron Paul has been called a “fascist”!
The confusion surrounding this term arises from the fact that, unlike other political philosophies, fascism is not clearly-defined. Most other ideologies have manifestos that outline their political tenants. Communism has The Communist Manifesto. Nazism has Mein Kampf. Capitalism has The Wealth of Nations. But fascism has no such founding document. Because of this, its tenets have long been debated by historians and sociologists.
During the Bush administration, an article began circulating the internet called “The Fourteen Defining Characteristics of Fascism.” This article is attributed to political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt who allegedly studied various fascist regimes and discovered 14 common characteristics among them.
Because of its vast distribution on the internet, the title of the article varies from “14 Points” to “14 Marks,” and the phrasing of the characteristics themselves also varies. But the 14 are usually listed as follows:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism.Although this article has been frequently shared and cited on the internet as a definition of fascism, it should not be considered a credible analysis of the ideology. The 14 characteristics are extremely vague and they easily apply to non-fascist countries. Indeed, if we take the first characteristic, “Powerful and Continuing Nationalism,” at face value, then every country is guilty of fascism, as people of all countries exhibit some level of national pride. Showing love for one’s country is not isolated to fascists.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause.
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.
Furthermore, the author who wrote the article does not exist. If Dr. Lawrence Britt were a credible authority on political science, he clearly would have published more than one article on the subject; yet a simple Google search of his name only retrieves variations of his one article and nothing else. No biography of him exists, not even a Wikipedia article!
This is because Dr. Lawrence Britt’s real name is “Laurence Britt,” and he is not a doctor, but a novelist. He only published one novel, June, 2004, and aside from that, his one and only article was published in the May 2004 edition of Free Inquiry Magazine.
As About.com contributor Tom Head explains in his piece on the matter: “This op-ed was forwarded around from inbox to inbox, and readers eventually began putting a ‘Dr.’ in front of his name and referring to him as a political scientist who had compiled the fascism inventory independently of the Bush administration. He had not done so, and had never claimed to do so. The article was, and had always been intended to be, an argument against the Bush administration.”
However, while Britt is not a real political scientist, and his article is not a real credible source, a real historical analysis of fascism was compiled nearly 60 years prior to Britt’s piece.
In 1944, John T. Flynn published As We Go Marching. Unlike “Dr.” Britt, Flynn was a well-renowned journalist and political commentator who wrote for publications such as The New Republic, Harper's Magazine, and Collier's Weekly. (Also unlike Britt: he has a Wikipedia article! Flynn: 1, Britt: 0.)
In his book, Flynn analyzed the fascist regimes of Hitler and Mussolini and listed eight common characteristics between them. His “Eight Marks of Fascism” are as follows:
Point 1. The government is totalitarian because it acknowledges no restraint on its powers.Aside from offering a comprehensive historical analysis on fascism, Flynn’s book also served as a critique of FDR’s New Deal policies, which Flynn feared were similar to the policies of the fascist regimes overseas.
Point 2. Government is a de facto dictatorship based on the leadership principle.
Point 3. Government administers a capitalist system with an immense bureaucracy.
Point 4. Producers are organized into cartels in the way of syndicalism.
Point 5. Economic planning is based on the principle of autarky.
Point 6. Government sustains economic life through spending and borrowing.
Point 7. Militarism is a mainstay of government spending.
Point 8. Military spending has imperialist aims.
His book is recommended for anyone curious about the history and ideology of fascism. An e-book version can be downloaded from the Mises Institute.
Those who don't have the time to read an entire book can read Lew Rockwell’s article “The Fascist Threat.” In it, Rockwell alludes to Flynn’s “Eight Marks” to provide a condensed analysis of fascism while also offering a scathing critique of the Bush and Obama administrations.
Both pieces are highly recommended to those who wish to understand fascism and what implications it has today.
Because if you insist on calling other people "fascist," it's best that you understand what the word and the ideology behind it means; otherwise, you might as well be calling them "doo-doo heads."
:origin()/pre00/8486/th/pre/i/2013/038/f/5/libertarian_bumper_sticker_by_blamethe1st-d5u62r2.png)
Nazism:
A set of political beliefs associated with the Nazi Party of Germany. It started in the 1920s. The Party gained power in 1933, starting the Third Reich. They lasted in Germany until 1945, at the end of World War II.
Is often associated with racial supremacy(also forbid interracial love) and antisemitism,together with a style of totalitarian dictatorship.
Symbol:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia…
Fascism:
A set of political beliefs that had prominence in the 20s.It emerged in the first world war
Is a form of extremist authoritarian nationalism( with a totalitarian government), that is opposed to anarchism,liberalism and Marxism, they believe liberal democracy is obsolete,rejects that war itself is bad.
Symbol:
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia…
That's what I understood of my reseach
So you waste a whole post on a certainty that never existed.
Bro.
Carry on though, your thought process is so amusing.
Sounds so 'fascist' when you take that stance.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause.
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.
Fascism is what happens when Democracies have so many so many problems they have overridden to solve them. When the Germans elected Hitler my grand mother remembers that due to the Christian Democrats (I believe that was the party of Libertarians in control) she had to clean the dead bodies of beggars out of the gutters where they had died of starvation.. .
in a few years Germany was back on it's feet due to economics which we would now call Keynesian everything went fine and until the war started after a argument with Poland over the Free city of Dagzig... God forgive my Great Grandfather for what his country allowed Hitler to do the Jews... But there was really no other choice!
Libertarians like this guy caused the horror to have to happen... An American President will have to override the Constitution if we don't reverse the course the Libertarians have created soon! We then will have fascism!
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause.
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.
JohnRobertPosey... I must say 2 things before I rebut your 14 item list: the actions of federal government as a whole is what makes the USA similar to fascism... not just one party or the other.... your blatant support of the Republican party and attempt to place our nation's fascism in the laps of Democrats is absurd, and your evidence is extremely short sighted to say the least.
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Citizens who supported the Democrats during their affiliation with the KKK are the Republicans of today, they believed the same things, and still live in the southern state and great plains. Read up on political history of our country. I will say that national pride is certainly a bipartisan belief and expected to a degree.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Gitmo is a bipartisan fascist effort. Obama swore to close it as a campaign promise. Ever known a politician to break one of those? Republicans are thoroughly documented throughout the existence of our country as staunch opponents of human rights... let's list a few groups of people they've attempted to oppress: a. EVERYBODY who wasn't male, white, and owned property, b. blacks, c. irish, d. italians, e. polish, f. ALL asians, g. ALL women, h. non-Christians, i. interracial couples, j.women who wanted to work, k.women who wanted to vote, l.minorities who wanted to attend shcool, m.minorities who wanted to vote, n.minorities that wanted to use the same ...actually... see "o.", o.to simplify things, we'll just say that when minorities or women wanted to do anything that white men could do, they had a fight on their hands (courtesy of those who align themselves with the doctrine of what we now know as the Republican party) p. lesbians q.gay men r.transsexuals/transgenders s.cross dressers t.poor people, u.man... I'm still on #2... "u" is good enough... the alphabet doesn't have enough symbols to list all the groups the Republican ilk has tried to keep in a state of oppression during the 240 year period our nation has been recognized v.nevermind, a few more - hispanics w. anybody who doesn't vote Republican, x.the working class, y.small business, z. everyone who isn't an American
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - I'm going to use your quote - "You Republicans sound a lot like fascists! You are in the back pocket of the CORPORATIONS!" This is entirely accurate. Don't take my word for it though, just look at the voting records of Republicans and their ilk on state and national levels. Your guys make their living pandering to the demands of big business. Thanks for owning up to it though so I didn't have to make an arguement. To be fair, when big business needs a couple extra votes, they do 1 of 2 things: either purchase enough Democratic votes to push their agenda, or write the legislation for Democrat sponsored regulations. I think the author was trying to demonstrate the use of Jews, non-whites, or generally a more foreign cause to unify against (as it was in Nazi Germany). Conspiring to take down big business would at least temporarily destroy our country, and the government won't permit that, nor does this sort of dissent benefit fascist goals.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even you've had the good sense to admit this one... not that you could deny it though.
5. Rampant Sexism - Your arguments here aren't arguments. You're pointing out the behaviour of many men regardless of political beliefs, and they aren't examples of sexism. "A woman's job is to be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. Women can't do the job as well as men. Let's limit the ability of a woman to make decisions about her own body. Women shouldn't vote. Women shouldn't work and if they do, they shouldn't be paid as much as a man." These are all examples of sexism, and supported by your ilk. Good job.
6. Controlled Mass Media - I can name hundreds of Republican controlled mass media outlets. Let's just name the big areas they present though: TV, Cable, Internet, Radio, Social Media. Liberals don't have this huge edge in dominating mass media like Republicans would have us believe. Don't get me started on the Republican propaganda machine. Once again... both parties control the mass media. I've been on a seemingly never ending search for an unbiased and accurate news source.
7. Obsession with National Security - Mentioning the NSA, the DOJ, and the Patriot Act don't serve your purpose John. Both sides of the aisle are interested in national security. Republicans have made themselves look like overzealous conspiracy theorists though.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Yes, the constitution does say freedom of religion, we also have this nifty thing called separation of church and state which Republicans walk all over like it's their personal door mat. I'm a Christian, but in accordance with our founding fathers wishes, I do not want religion being written into legislation. Republicans try to carve bigotry and oppression into legislation in the name of God all the time. I know I certainly wouldn't want to follow Muslim doctrine woven into law... that's why religion and political policy make horrible bedfellows, and the founders tried to protect us from that.
9. Corporate Power is Protected - John the power of business vs that of workers is not what the author intended this point to cover. Corporate power leeching into the government and visa versa is paramount for fascism to exist. You're trying to evade the topic and serve up a Republican talking point. The Republicans boldly represent corporate power with no apology, and the Democrats pretend they give a flip about regulating it. It's all about money and power. The way our two major political parties tango about when it comes to big business is a cornerstone of our nation becoming nothing less than a fascist dictatorship. I gave the Democrats a really black eye in this segment. Local and state Democrats aren't nearly as dedicated to supporting big business as those on the federal level. The money is too vast to refuse once they arrive on the hill apparently.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Of course the Republicans don't want unions (at all). Anything standing in the way of obscene profits and the ability to abuse the working class is manure in the eyes of the owners. Some states have outlawed organized labor completely. None of that is important though, nearly all of our jobs where unions are practical have been sent overseas. The outsourcing continues...
11. Disdain for Inellectuals and the Arts - "You don't like my modern art so you must be fascist." This sentence demonstrates your immaturity and the extent of your limited knowledge. I'm guessing you're a high school sophmore with extremely Republican parents, and that being said, I'll take it easy on you. It's not your fault that this kind of tripe is being shoveled down your throat 24/7. The author isn't attempting to show that just because some people don't care for the obimnations that others call art, that this makes us a fascist country. He is reminding us that fascist regimes suppress free thinking and education. For a nation to get behind absolutely insane and tyrranical ideas like that of the fascist regimes around WWII, the truth must be hidden, and citizens must be machines completely indoctrinized with fascist rhetoric. The ruling class doesn't want any citizens getting together and considering the morality and validity of fascist goals being impressed upon them.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - I can randomly name 2 attorneys affiliated with the Republican party if you'd like. Republicans are in favor of having a wide range of punishment at their disposal, and the ability to incarcerate and enslave a large portion of the public. It's a very profitable business in my state. Democrats are on board with this too naturally. Any person or persons at any given time can be picked up by the system and swept under the rug, and nobody can do anything about it. That's a quality of a fascist government.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - In the interest of being nice, I won't comment on your sentence. The USA government and how business is conducted in our country is based upon these two principles. The fact that our systems continue to operate with the extent of corruption and cronyism is what's morphing our capitalist democracy into fascist imperialism. No political parties apply. We've got this one covered to a "T".
14. Fraudulent Elections - Who is George W. Bush? Remember him? He was the first president appointed by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Fascist thought is simple: the desire to limitate freedom "for freedom" according to them.
Fascism = Fucking up everything you can imagine (freedom, intelligence, information, philosophy, art, politics) in an entire nation.
A lot of things are fascism.