Mikael of ImpeachforPeace Empowering citizens to hold our elected (or otherwise in power) servants accountable

What is the definition of fascism?

How would one know when one’s country is slowly being transformed into a fascist state? What is it like to live inside of one? Would we recognize it if it were happening to us, or, like the frog in the slowly warming kettle, would the “national warming” be so gradual, so undetectable that we wouldn’t notice until it was too late? Like melting ice caps, would the signs be too easily disputable for us to agree that they are evidence?

Perhaps those who live inside the bubble of a controlled mass media (#6 below) would tend to be the last to know.

Here is the final sermon delivered by retiring Pastor Dave Weissbard at The Unitarian Universalist Church, Rockford, Illinois on Memorial Day, May 28th, 2006 entitled “Treachery and All Ruinous Disorders”:

“Treachery and All Ruinous Disorders”

And here is an excerpt from that sermon, in which he quotes an article by Laurence Britt (Free Inquiry Magazine, Volume 23, Number 2):

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Characteristics of Fascist States

In that article on fascism I mentioned earlier, Laurence Britt looked at seven fascist states: Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Franco’s Spain, Salazar’s Portugal, Papadopoulos’s Greece, Pinochet’s Chile, and Suharto’s Indonesia (most of which the United States supported). He found fourteen characteristics they shared:

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism
5. Rampant sexism
6. A controlled mass media
7. Obsession with national security
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together
9. Power of corporations protected
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts
12. Obsession with crime and punishment
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption
14. Fraudulent election

Characteristics of Fascist States

~~~

Do any of those fourteen characteristics look familiar to you?:

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism (Backdrops to FoxNews broadcasts indistinguishable from Colbert Report “drowning in flags and eagles” parody, Soldiers as background for speeches, Dissenters labeled “unpatriotic”, greatly increased military presence at sporting events).
2. Disdain for the importance of human rights (Torture camps, extreme renditions, denying detainees access to lawyers/Red Crescent/etc., Spying on Americans, Haditha, Gitmo, Abu Gahrib, Baghram, former Soviet gulag facilities now in our use, additional federal detention facilities on U.S. soil in process).
3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause (Osama, Saddam, Al-Zarkhawi, “Freedom Fries”, Gore, Kerry, Murtha, Hillary, Cindy Sheehan).
4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism (Checked the federal budget recently?, Afghanistan/Iraq/is Iran next?, Runaway rubber stamping war spending by subservient Congress despite billions of reconstruction dollars “missing” and numerous cases of blatant war profiteering/no-bid contracts to cronies. Use of nuclear weapons “on the table” against Iran).
5. Rampant sexism (Opposition to abortion is a one thing… suppression of birth control leading to a sharp spike in AIDS overseas is another. Subservient wife model paraded out in “family values” legislation).
6. A controlled mass media (Treasonous outing to press of CIA NOC Valerie Plame , Armstrong Williams, Jeff Gannon/Guckert, FAUXNews/Roger Ailes, attacks on Dan Rather, PBS & NPR, federal lawsuits against whistle-blowing journalists, manufactured fake news reports still distributed despite orders by courts to cease).
7. Obsession with national security (Giving it lip service, but our ports are as of yet nearly completely unprotected. Always an excuse for power & money grabs, but never actually taken care of).
8. Religion and ruling elite tied together (Pat Robertson + President Bush = call to assassinate Hugo Chavez. Jesus used as election tool to attract the sheeple, yet teachings of Christ ignored in policy decisions).
9. Power of corporations protected (Corporate lobbyists now writing policy, no-bid contracts are the rule, Clean Air Act removed environmental protections, corporate cronyism favors rampant).
10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated (Ask any Northwest Airlines or Delta employee/former employee, jobs flying overseas unhindered by feds).
11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts (Seymour Hersch, Noam Chomsky, Dixie Chicks, Michael Moore, Neil Young, Garrison Keillor all under attack for being critical of the Bush Administration).
12. Obsession with crime and punishment (Calls to round up the “illegals”, build a wall, etc., dissidents branded “traitorous” – see Carole Fisher case, Florida WTO crackdown).
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption (If you don’t see this one, you might be completely brain dead or living on an island somewhere. Abramoff/Sefavian/DeLay/Noe/Cunningham/Libby, etc, etc., etc. As many as sixty national GOP leaders implicated in Abramoff scandal alone).
14. Fraudulent election (Florida 2000, Ohio/New Mexico, etc. 2004, Michigan 2006?).

Was the 2000 Election Stolen?

Was the 2004 Election Stolen?

I have no doubt.