Conservatives can sometimes surprise you. Just when you think there's no hope, one will turn around and say something that actually makes sense. I had this experience a few days ago at work.
I was casually listening in on a political discussion among some of my more conservative co-workers (and a couple of their also conservative) visitors, when things started to get a bit heated. One of the guys had apparently suggested that Bush and the Neocons were not conservative at all, but were in fact, fascists. Of course the others immediately jumped on the label "fascist", saying that it was way over the top - after all, this is America, not Nazi Germany and the word "fascist" was highly inflammatory. But Mr. G did not give up; he proceeded to point-by-point describe what a fascist was and what a "real" conservative is supposed to believe. I doubt he convinced the other conservatives there, but it gave me some motivation to look into it a little more.
Benito Mussolini - who knew something about fascism - had this definition:
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power."
Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20). He did a study of the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), and found they all had certain elements in common. He calls these the 14 identifying characteristics of fascism.
Following is the basic list - A more embellished version can be found on the Project for the Old American Century (which is a website that spoofs the PNAC website). The original article can be found at Fascism Anyone?
The 14 Characteristics of Fascism
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 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.
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 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.
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 or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
In looking for information on the web, I noticed that the theme of "US is now a Fascist Nation" seems to be popular among libertarians - on many of their websites. A good blog about it is on Libertas' The Price of Liberty . When I see it, I'm surprised that liberals haven't picked up on it more. I guess maybe calling Bush a fascist would seem too fringy or left-wing fanatical. Or maybe Americans just don't believe it could happen here.