Sinclair Lewis said "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."
Might be Lewis didn’t say it — but it still rings true. If he’d known, he’d have added "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross and a bible in one hand, and an AR-15 in the other."
I was thinking about the state of our government and country, and our People — the quote above came to mind, and the discussion of the characteristics of Fascist states (that you will see below) also came to mind. Many here at DKOS will have already seen this list — if you haven’t, it’s eye opening.
Britt found many commonalties between the regimes of Mussolini, Hitler, Franco, and some Asian and Latin American regimes. The extract below is from Dr. Lawrence Britt's article in “Free Inquiry”, and is a list of the fourteen characteristics common to each that he found.
See if you recognize anything; I do - they’re all like shooting fishes in a barrel (sorry for the metaphor, I like fish!).
Here they are — the 14 lousy ways to NOT make America Great Again!
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.
"Make America Great Again"? It WAS till the Mango Mobster arrived and started crapping on everything. Flags everywhere - oh yeah, both America's and the flags of the losers (who flies the flag of traitors and losers, and is proud of it? If those turkeys want to fly a flag, they can fly the white flag of surrender — GET OVER IT, SNOWFLAKES!).
Think this is good? — see the rest below…lots more...
You will see tRump and the Repubs in all of these descriptions.
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.
Immigration, DACA, CHIP, healthcare and much more fall by the wayside because of the Republican “Need” to give lots of money to their enablers. tRump would be happy to start a war as long as HE didn’t have to go.
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.
Yup — immigrants, Libruls, Dems, anyone not white and Christian, etc. Watch any of tRump’s rallys if you need confirmation (and if your gag reflex is non-existent).
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.
These Fascist idiots screech about how much they love our Military, but when it comes to taking care of our veterans, keeping things working, ensuring we build good gear at a reasonable price — ah, not so much. Military First (except when it isn’t) and screw the rest of us.
tRump has no actual respect for the military — he just likes Generals — he likes their power.
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. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
Take a picture of tRump’s Cabinet — almost all white and male (and unfit, incapable, ignorant, hateful, etc.). They spend all their time worrying about what’s in other people’s underwear, what they do with it, who’s allowed to be with whom, in what bathroom, etc.
All projection and hate, and the use of religion to suppress freedom, take away individual rights and force others to behave as the theists wish.
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.
Republican State News — TRUMP NEWS (aka Faux Noise) — need I say more (and risk arrest)?
tRump’s constant drum-beating about the fake media and fake news is an attempt to damage a very important institution — The Press, and a very important right — the protection of The Press, so they can’t do their jobs without interference from dicks like tRump.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
tRump has vilified everyone in this country that isn’t Republican, white, male, Christian, rich, authoritarian, and racist, bigoted, misogynistic, xenophobic — I could go on forever about how rotten these people are. Republicans are afraid of everything, and it’s all due to their leadership constantly crying “Wolf!” (Not to mention “squirrel and “pie”!).
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.
Listen to our erstwhile “buddy” Roy Moore — he’d be glad to beat you to literal death with his bible, and there's a guy (Good Christian) in Texas going for Governor that says he’d be glad to kill LGBT people — if he could. Of course, Good Christian and seditionist Moore would have to take time out from cruising for little girls at the mall and trying to shove his shitty version of Christianity down collective America’s throat (whether we want it or not).
And they want to put these guys, and more like them, into office over us all.
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.
Regulations are being deleted out of existence — the Billionaires got paid for their help to the traitorous Repubs, and they got their tax break — on the backs of all of Americans, except the rich.
We have turned corporations into people, so they can project terrifying political power onto the country. We are giving businesses the right to have religion, fer Christ’s sake, and allowing them to project religious power over their employees!
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.
We’ve seen Scott Walker decimate unions — tRump certainly has no love for them (and none lost from the unions). We’ve also see more legislation to allow “Right to Work” laws that disenfranchise union employees and choke off funding in favor of freeloaders that want the representation but don’t want to have to pay for it.
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.
tRump has told us straight out how much he “Loves the uneducated” — he has to be surrounded with people who are even more stupid than he (how does he do it?), or he haz a sad.
Remember what happened to Kathy Griffin?
Besides, tRump and his merry crew wouldn’t recognize art if it bit them in the ass (as, in tRump’s case, it frequently does!).
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.
This one is all about Sessions, isn’t it? He wants to turn the Fascist, racist, misogynistic and bigoted police forces onto the people to keep us all afraid and running. And locked up!
They are glad to rent private prisons and fill them with minorities, militarize our guardians of the peace, and make unfair laws that victimize guilty people and victims alike. No justice for anyone but the rich.
13. 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.
tRump is surrounded by sycophants - he has his family, friends, crony's, traitors and lickspittles neatly arrayed around him. He is guilty of the emolument clause violations up the gazooch, and he is selling his office to the highest bidder (and the offices of his cabinet) — Russia.
He is looting our Treasury with his constant trips to Hack-a-Loogy (at $3 mil+ per trip).
He has done Putin’s bidding, and is assisting Putin in destabilizing the Western World (if you will).
Corruption at the highest office in the land — the Presidency. tRump and his swamp are traitors.
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 orpolitical district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
We’d never have been here if it wasn’t for tRump’s campaign team’s fraudulent and criminal actions in betraying our country to the Russians, allowing them and aiding them to interfere in our elections, and accepting their assistance in overturning fair elections in our country. The Republics are working fast to stack the Judiciary — they want to somehow cement their power before America wakes up and throws them out!
Come one 2018! Come on Mueller!
Wow! What scumbag Fascists these people are!
And they want us to shut up and live with it?
Not happening RWNJ assholes!
I’ll be you all have something to say about this — let’s see your two-cents worth — have at you!
The Excerpt is from:
- The 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism
- Dr. Lawrence Britt
- Free Inquiry
- Spring 2003
- 5-11-3
- Copyright © 2003 Free Inquiry magazine Reprinted for Fair Use Only.