There has been much discussion about what fascism means and who has fascist tendencies, so I thought that it would be a good time to define what it means in terms of political ideology.
Sure "fascist" is a term thrown out there just like Nazi, a label that means almost nothing now, in much the same way "communist" was during the 60s. The Red Scare was winding down, and people knew that communist wasn't something that you wanted to be but that was all. It no longer meant someone who wanted collectivization of the means of production and "equal" distribution of wealth (for those outside the party).
To this end I offer the official definition from the American Heritage Dictionary via (Dictionary.com)
1. often Fascism
1. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
2. A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government.
2. Oppressive, dictatorial control.
From wikipedia (Fascism):
Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on, but not limited to, ethnic, cultural, or racial attributes. Various scholars attribute different characteristics to fascism, but the following elements are usually seen as its integral parts: nationalism, authoritarianism, statism, militarism, totalitarianism, anti-communism, collectivism, corporatism, populism, and opposition to economic and political liberalism.
With this being said, fascism is a right doctrine. People on the left can have fascist characteristics, but they cannot be fascists. Once they move more toward being fascist, they stop being a member of the left. There is no way around this, and one need to just look at Joe Lieberman. I am not saying that he is a fascist, but he has moved more to the right, and is no longer regarded as a democratic, even though he claims to be.
So a breakdown of fascist characteristics and where Republicans stand:
Nationalism- Remember all the flags after 9/11? How those of us, who instead of wishing war on Afghanistan or Iraq, wanted a discussion of WHY it happened and were called unpatriotic? I agree with the former bomber, turned historian (I wont say his name for O'Really trolls) who said during an interview with TomPaine.com: "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."
Remember, Tom Paine? He wrote a little booklet called "Common Sense".
Authoritarianism/Totalitarianism- Let's see FISA violations, USA PATRIOT, domestic spying, to name a few. If you read John Dean's "Conscience of a Conservative" he covers the "daddy party" better than I ever could. Totalitarianism: "If you are not with us, you are against us"
Statism- Statism is state involvement in personal, social, or economic matters. Gay rights legislation, government in the bedroom, anti-privacy legislation goes here. Not to mention welfare to oil companies and defense contractors, and laws against competition for big businesses, which they call "deregulation"
Militarism- Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, anyone? Then there are the 60 or so other since 1944, including basically every country in Latin/South America and most of South Asia.
Anti-communism- Not so relevant today, but the right still refers to those on the left as communists or socialists. Socialized medicine anyone? They call it that, and we call it health care for all. Don't they understand that some of the best things we have in this country are socialized? Like roads, bridges, policemen, firemen, ambulances, sewage, water treatment, universities and schools, and a lot of power generation in days past, but still you get the point.
Collectivism- This is the value of the whole over the value of the individual. This does not mean lack of individualism, but is in reference to the means of production and wages, mainly. This can be a left or right thing, since collectivism is also a part of Anarcho-Communism.
Corporatism- Big Business, Big Business, Big Business, need I say more?
Populism- Something again that can be both left or right. But right populism uses disinformation and deception (propaganda) as a means to gain support.
Opposition to economic and political liberalism- This is one time where I proudly display my "liberal badge", even though I prefer the progressive term. From wikipedia (Liberalism):
Liberals advocate a greater degree of government influence to protect individual rights (in a broad sense), often in the form of anti-discrimination laws. Social liberals support universal education, and many also support the provision of welfare, including benefits for the unemployed, housing for the homeless, and medical care for the sick, all supported by progressive taxation.
In political science we talk about progression into more advanced democracies, and at the top of that list is "Liberal Democracies". Essential rights under liberal democracies:
* Right to life and security of person.
* Freedom from slavery.
* Freedom of movement.
* Equality before the law and due process under the rule of law.
* Freedom of speech.
* Freedom of information.
* Freedom of the press and access to alternative information sources.
* Freedom of association and assembly .
* Freedom of education.
* Freedom of religion.
* An independent judiciary
Then there is the use of propaganda:
"Propaganda is neutrally defined as a systematic form of purposeful persuasion that attempts to influence the emotions, attitudes, opinions, and actions of specified target audiences for ideological, political or commercial purposes through the controlled transmission of one-sided messages (which may or may not be factual) via mass and direct media channels. A propaganda organization employs propagandists who engage in propagandism—the applied creation and distribution of such forms of persuasion."
R.A. Nelson, A Chronology and Glossary of Propaganda in the United States, 1996
Propaganda is used to outline who the enemies are and why they are enemies. It is used by both sides, and we should not be too naive to believe that we don't have it here. Fox News, fixed reports on the success of the war, yellow cake, WMD, the list goes on.
Some final notes on fascism, the United States was very pro-fascism during the 1920s and early 1930s, from Fortune Magazine 1934,"The wops are unwopping themselves". Hoover said Mussolini was a "sound and useful leader". And FDR called him that "admirable Italian gentleman". "Peace and prosperity" under Mussolini was preferred to "free speech, loose administration...[and] the danger and disorganization of Bolshevism," said Sectary of State Frank Kellogg.