Some say "coming to a place near you, soon..." arthr
-----Original Message----- From: Harry Pollard [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 8:38 PM To: Ray Evans Harrell; futurework Subject: Re: [Futurework] From the Internet Sounds like the USSR and Cuba. Harry ---------------------------------------------------------- Ray wrote: >A friend sent this over. REH > > >'Fascism Anyone?', by Lawrence Britt, >and appears in Free Inquiry's Spring 2003 issue on page 20. > >The 14 characteristics are: > >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 anti-gay 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 are almost >always 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. > >--- >Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. >Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). >Version: 6.0.486 / Virus Database: 284 - Release Date: 5/29/2003 **************************************************** Harry Pollard Henry George School of Social Science of Los Angeles Box 655 Tujunga CA 91042 Tel: (818) 352-4141 -- Fax: (818) 353-2242 http://home.attbi.com/~haledward **************************************************** _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://scribe.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
