Fourteen Signs of Fascism

The 14 Characteristics of Fascism
by Lawrence Britt
Spring 2003
Free Inquiry magazine


Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt recently wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20). Studying the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The excerpt is in accordance with the magazine's policy.

The 14 characteristics are:

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottoes, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.


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.


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.


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.


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 anti-gay legislation and national policy.


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.


Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.


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.


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.


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 .


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.


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.


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.


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.


Copyright © 2003 Free Inquiry magazine
Reprinted for Fair Use Only.



find the reprint @ Vets for peace!

On the Divinity of the United States

The United States of America is a very fortunate country indeed. We have no borders we need defend with massed soldiers. Our last foreign invasion before 911 was during the the early 1900s when Pancho Villa roamed Texas.

As we moved westward, we were able to plunder most of what we needed for all necessary domestic production from the people who had custody of it.

We exist largely in a temperate climate zone, which has enabled us to grow our own food for most of our history.

We have a form of government which, derived from the liberal principles conceived by European philosophers, has led to the legal enfranchisement of men without property, women and people of color.

We are not, however, specially blessed by a divine being. Our good fortune should not be used as an excuse to dominate the rest of the world. That would be hubris, not humility and gratitude for all of the natural advantages that we have.

The Constitution was not divinely inspired. If it were, there would have been no provision that slaves were 3/5 of a person for voting purposes.

This is not about race. Most conveniently, the 14th Amendment has been used to protect corporate rights about 95% of the time, and protect the rights of people of color about 5% of the time.

The US, under the control of corporations and under pressure from religious fundamentalists, has become a rapacious plunderer. This is not Godlike behavior. As a matter of fact, it doesn't make us much different than the Taliban or Al Qaeda...except that we have the power to deliver weapons of mass destruction just about anywhere at any time in less than 30 minutes.

Take that, Domino's. We can beat your time any time.

We have 700 military bases in 135 nations. These bases are not protecting Americans from harm. They are protecting corporate plunder operations. We ought to just say no. These plundering operations impoverish and immiserate the regular people in the host countries. These people are just like you and me. They want to earn enough money in a reasonable amount of work hours so that they can raise their families in peace.

For the sake of regular Americans and the regular folk just like us everywhere else, it is our job to stand up and control the prideful monster that the US has become.

God (or the divine or undivine being of your choice) bless and protect us all from corporate domination of government.