14 defining characteristics of fascism: The U.S. in 2012

[Trillo]

There is a difference, however, between fascism today and the right-wing ideology that it embodied under Hitler and Mussolini. Modern fascism uses the left-right dialectic to maintain control over a divided populace. American politicians, citizens and media on both sides of the political spectrum continually use scapegoats to shift blame for failures and misdirect anger: liberals, conservatives, socialists, capitalists, bible-thumpers, atheists, blacks, welfare queens, tree-huggers, etc., etc. The list of labels used in name-calling and blaming goes on and on. Meanwhile, few if any real solutions are offered for problems such as unemployment, inflation, corruption on Wall Street and government spending.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/2/14-defining-characteristic-by-Gregory-Patin-120326-246.html

The URL and snippet is from Page 2 of the article. It's not my article.

[JDPriestly]

1. Says it all. We are definitely in the Matrix.

[saras]

2. You can't possibly be fascist without a dictator with a silly mustache...

...God help us if Obama decides to grow one...



if the majority of the population are treated as tools to serve the values of the rulers, it is fascism whether there's a king, a dictator, a parliament, or a robot in charge.

Aside from minor historical changes - censoring science is more important and censoring the arts less important in America currently than has been the case historically - the article is pretty wonkish, not overstated at all, and pretty much right on.

[Nye Bevan]

3. Funny how the lists never include things like

"internet discussion boards shut down by the Government"

"elections canceled indefinitely"

"people beaten up and murdered for opposing the Government".

Somehow for me these define fascism better than "rampant sexism".

[Trillo]

4. Don't you think all of those things are implied? I guess what you're asking for is more specificity?

2. Disdain for the importance of human rights. The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation.

At least to me, that seems to logistically cover 4 of the specific points you raise. Gotta go, timer's going off....