Fascism Anyone?

[stilltrucking]

Fascism Anyone?
The 14 characteristics of Fascism
by Dr. Lawrence Britt
Free Inquiry magazine, Spring 2003

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Fasci ... scism.html

[firsty]

nice link, man.

here's the list. there's not a single item on the list that doesnt describe the bush administration:

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. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and antigay legislation and national policy.

6. Controlled Mass Media -- Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or through sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in wartime, 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 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, 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 who 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 the assassination of) opposition candidates, the use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and the manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

[mtmynd]

Thx, truck! the list firsty posted is quite right on!

[stilltrucking]

I had to Google fascism to make sure I was clear on the meaning. It comes from latin fasces. You probably knew that. I stumbled onto his page.
I have not checked out the rest of his website. I know nothing about the guy, but I thought it was right on too.


"Brother, can you spare a dime?"

[mtmynd]

I wonder is there is a truly stable part of the world anymore... a place that has it's shit together and the people feel good about their spot on the globe. You wouldn't happen to know of such a spot would you?

[stilltrucking]

Ten four front door
There is a Santa Claus
I saw on a PBS show the other night called European Journal.

And I saw another one in a PBS show called The Women's Kingdom.

[Arcadia]

"It comes from latin fasces". Italian fascio?. Yeah, I already heard it somewhere.

[stilltrucking]

Mussolini did to the fasces what Hitler did to this pottery bowl fron ancient china



Before Benito the fasces it was just a republican symbol.

That Mercury/fasces dime is pure silver. Hang on to it if you come across one. Makes nice jewelry

[Traveller13]

the difference between poor leaders and rich leaders is that rich leaders make their people believe that they are given a choice

[stilltrucking]

Not many poor leaders stay poor very long once they get in power.

I translated your tag line on altavista babel fish and i came out like this---
"Traveller, is no way, becomes way when walking"
?

[firsty]

I wonder is there is a truly stable part of the world anymore... a place that has it's shit together and the people feel good about their spot on the globe. You wouldn't happen to know of such a spot would you?

right here.

right now.

[Traveller13]

Yes, all leaders can get money easily.
The question is, depending on the wealth of the country, how to get it.
If the people can't read the contracts you sign, you can go about it in a more, say, honest way.

My signature is from a poem by Antonio Machado, which goes as follows:

Traveller, your footsteps
Are the path, and nothing else;
Traveller, there is no path,
Paths are made by treading.
By walking you make the path,
And on turning to look behind you
You see the path which never
You will have to tread again.
Traveller, there is no path,
Paths are made by treading.

My signature is the 3rd and 4th lines.
Se hace el camino al andar.
I find that line perfect, and didn't want to translate it.
If you search on google you'l find the last sentence of the poem is different, and talks about a wake in the sea or something. I have no explanation for that, I'm even clueless about what a wake in the sea could possibly be; the first time I read the poem I read nothing about a wake in the sea. But then again the online versions of this poem tend to vary, because of the translations.

Back to the subject, I think that everyone can be happy with what they have, whatever the political situation. It's "only" a matter of finding oneself. Which isn't easy because we've always learned to look outside for solutions.

[stilltrucking]

Thanks for the translation Jeremy
Translations are a bitch
So many bad translators of Freud
So much harm done in his name.

It's "only" a matter of finding oneself.

I think that is what firsty meant when he said right here right now.

But I think about Nova Scotia a lot

[firsty]

i grew up in an out of the way suburb in upstate new york. we had three radio stations, one was country, one was npr, and one was pop. i listened to the pop music radio station. other than my springsteen tapes, the only current music i listened to was on the radio. i had a collection of recordings from my father's vinyl - dylan, stones, beatles, janis, buddy holly, coasters, jim croce, etc. but for contemporary music, all we had was what we had.

so i didnt have the punk music and the real alternative pop going on.

the first alternative music i really listened to, the first song that let me know that something else was out there was that song by that band and the song went like this: right here, right now, there is no other place, i want to be.

cant remember the band. nothing special. after that i got to college and was able to start hearing some real music.

i been a buffalo bills fan for as long as i can remember. through the ferguson days, even before that, knowing OJ, then on to jerry butler and then the really bad years before the 90s when, after a few ex-quarterbacks (you notice NO ONE ever hires any ex-QBs as coaches anymore - back then it was all the rage) at head coach, we got marv levy.

he took them to 4 straight super bowls. yay.

before every game, he used to ask his team: where else would you rather be than right here, right now?

where would i rather be than right here, right now? nowhere.

as americans we were damn lucky to be born into this country. we didnt want for much as kids, give or take. we're all most of us sitting in front of computers right now, most of our bills paid, maybe, give or take.

but these fucking times, man. this lucky country, all of us fortunate sons within in, this lucky country has waged war on the entire world.

in spiderman they said - with great power, comes great responsibility.

before we know anything, we have to know who we are and be happy about it. but once there, we have to decide if our freedom is worth so much that other people should be able to have it.

or at least the freedoms we've been taught.

they hadnt fucked up the public school system while i was still in school. now, of course, it's just test to test. grade to grade. stripped down, searched, ridiculed and destroyed. but back when i was in school, they taught us about why america was founded in the first place.

they probably dont even teach that anymore.

so right here right now means: right here, right now.

freedom's last stand.

[mtmynd]

yeah, firsty, 'now' is all we have... or should strive to realize.

The longer we're now the better we off we are.

The current times is not so much about now but later... what will/could/might/may/could happen if... that fucking. doubtful, unsure, insecure, improbable 'if'.... fuck if.