Fourteen Defining Characteristics Of Fascism is your Governor one?

 Fourteen Defining
Characteristics Of Fascism
By Dr. Lawrence Britt

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 motto's, 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 fascistnations 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 aristocracyof 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 enforcelaws.  The people are often willing to overlook  police abuses and even forgo 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 aregoverned 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. Image via Wikipedia