Beyond the visual, even a cursory study of these fascist and protofascist regimes reveals the absolutely striking convergence of their modus operandi. This, of course, is not a revelation to the informed political observer, but it is sometimes useful in the interests of perspective to restate obvious facts and in so doing shed needed light on current circumstances.
For the purpose of this perspective, I will consider the following regimes: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco’s Spain, Salazar’s Portugal, Papadopoulos’s Greece, Pinochet’s Chile, and Suharto’s Indonesia.
and …
Analysis of these seven regimes reveals fourteen common threads that link them in recognizable patterns of national behavior and abuse of power.
and … Britt’s list*
1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism.
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights.
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause.
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism.
5. Rampant sexism.
6. A controlled mass media.
7. Obsession with national security.
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together.
9. Power of corporations protected.
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated.
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts.
12. Obsession with crime and punishment.
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption.
14. Fraudulent elections.
Does any of this ring alarm bells? Of course not. After all, this is America, officially a democracy with the rule of law, a constitution, a free press, honest elections, and a well-informed public constantly being put on guard against evils. Historical comparisons like these are just exercises in verbal gymnastics. Maybe, maybe not.
*Britt’s list – I edited the descriptions out. They are chillingly – but not surprisingly – familiar. Please go to the article to read them.
Do Please read the whole article: Fascism Anyone?
by Laurence W. Britt
in Council for Secular Humanism‘s Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 23, Number 2 – Spring, 2003.
Any questions?
The current Administration in USA, has broken my heart and caused me a great deal of fear. The articl on facism makes too clear what has been attempted. It is not over yet. The national debt will take years, the recession/depression that our economy is in will take years. All products of the current Adminiatration. “Do not forget what they did. VOTE DEMOCRAT”