What is your opinion on "14 Defining Characteristics of Facism" ?
145191
Sounds like the US, doesn't it? \nIts accellerated since Bush stole the first election, but it got its start during the Reagan Administration, Illegal Iran Contra war, Moral Majority, and the assault on the nation's poor began under Ronnie.  I honestly believe it is going to have to get a whole lot worse before people are going wake up and respond.\n\nThe dumbing down of the population with mass media has only helped create more of an American Sheeple. \n\nWe are already there.
481359
I live in America. My country is pretending that it is a democracy. However, only Rich white men need apply to be in government, so what we actually have is at best a corporate\noligarchy. Add to this that nobody talks to representatives\nother than corporations and big money interests, and the problem rapidly gets bigger. Add to this that political science fact says that all corporate oligarchies decay into\nfascism, and look at the agenda of the far right, and the actions of the Bush administration. What America is right now is probably a protofascist government. Most of the criteria for discerning fascism have been met. State control of media, rigged elections, state demonization of minority groups (Illegal imigrants, Gays, single mothers)\nIllegal wars, use of torture, etc.
686783
Looking down your list I really think you have lumped in far left and far right together.  Marxism is far left only.  No leader on that list instated any degree of marxist socialism, but instead devolved quickly into some sort of socialist dictatorship ("some pigs are more equal than others") or corporate/fascist regime.\n\nFor real examples of Marxist philosophy working nearly correctly, check out many American religious eclaves like the Amanas or the Israeli Kibbutz system.  I've lived in one, it's quite boring really but in a way it is very free.  Basically you have to figure out what to do with all your free time when every need is taken care of and you only work 4 hours a day.
1066018
Yeah, you got the spelling spot on.\n\nApproving Nazism effectively means approving racism and discrimination.  Nazi Germany was a totalitarian regime where the rights of millions were suppressed, and I think on this basis its hard to 'approve' of it in highnsight.  You highlight Hitler Youth, but this was effectively just an attempt to indoctrinate children with Nazi ideals at a young age and promote ardent nationalism.\n\nI suppose some people may claim it was economically successful, however, even this is highly debatable.  Ideas such as a nations self-sufficiency are very outdated now.  In fact, I can't really think of many aspects of Nazim to approve of.\n\nSorry, I've just noticed someone claimed 'he had a good idea [Hitler] but took it toooo toooo far'.  What was the good idea?  A racially pure Nation? The supremacy of the German 'volk'? Absolute leadership by an individual?  All of these he put forward in 'Mein Kampf', I'm just wondering which is the 'good' one?!
195079
"ANY speach that promotes hatred..."\n"Source(s):\nToo many liberals and not enough ammo."\n\nI think ignorant, narrow-minded, hypocrites should be limited with their speech.\n\n...Not really, they can talk all they want. They tend to prove themselves wrong on their own.  Plus, conflicting views are crucial to decision making. I just had to point out the inconsistancy.
870241
Dear thiscrossbear_lee,\n\nAn excellent question. But my, where to start? I guess this is my personal top three:\n\n1. Provocative and inflammatory tirades only thinly disguised as questions: "why can't Democrats/Republicans admit that they are all fascist baby-killers who eat their own excrement?"\n\n2. Rhetorical questions whose only purpose is to preach, vent, and gain approval for an ill-considered and primitive opinion: "does anyone else feel that immigrants are stinky scuzzballs who should all be kicked out of the country?"\n\n3. Questions with no hint of syntax, grammar or spelling in them which look to have been written by a drunk telegraphist afflicted with Tourette's Syndrome: "i tihnk mots moslums;; r fuck sutpid asshoels. who wantadisrtoy!  tihs cuntry, wat du u fucking al beli:ve."\n\nThe worst questions contain elements of all the points above. It seems that there is a frighteningly high number of people who are more interested in abusing others, preaching hatred or venting their petty angers than in the genuine acquisition of knowledge. This is the greatest shame in my opinion.\n\nHope this helped,
1179477
"through the use of fear, societies gave up their rights under the guise of security."  i think this statement sums up best all the uproar over what the bush administration is or isn't doing to 'protect' us as americans. there is a fine line being walked (and not very delicately if you care to notice the details) between "security" and "loss of freedom". and the culture of fear and separation noted in the article is all too apparent today... after all you're either a "patriot" or you "support the enemy". \n\n"those in power are of a smaller segment of society, but they hold the wealth and control" is an accurate description of where america is today. a minute percentage of people possess the lion's share of the wealth: the inequality has always been present but never to this degree. if this is indeed a part of the definition of fascism, you could argue that we are getting closer...\n\n"fascist nations... typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections." let diebold reign! here's to florida, and to ohio, proud supporters of the winning side!\n\n"governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion...." and how often to religious leaders echo the sentiments exactly of the us government? do you watch the 700 club?\n\nwhere did the platform for intelligent discussion of the issues facing the US go? why are people (being manipulated?) becoming so polarized? where has 'the beauty of the gray' disappeared to? isn't it funny how so many things in life are suddenly black and white, like apples and oranges?\n\nif you deceive often enough and use the proper (official?) channels, one of two things will happen. they will come to believe it as gospel ("this is a delicious orange! when did they start growing stems?") or they will use the knowledge they already have to resist ("THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" -jean-luc picard) the lies. \n\nare you really willing to doubt that this is in fact an apple? and will we be reluctant to let go of a moniker we've worn proudly for over two centuries? stay tuned...
423428
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 08:06:49 -0700\nSubject: [PAG] An ugly reality\n\nAn ugly reality\n\nBy Thomas Sowell\n\nApr 18, 2006\n\nThank heaven for the massive marches across the country by those \nfavoring illegal immigrants. These marches revealed the ugly truth \nbehind the fog of pious words and clever political spin from the media \nand from both Democrats and Republicans in Washington.\n\n"Guest workers"? Did any of the strident speakers, with their \nin-your-face bombast in Spanish, sound like guests? Did they sound like \npeople who wanted to become Americans?\n\nWere they even asking for amnesty? They didn't sound like they were \nasking for anything. They sounded like they were telling. Demanding. \nThreatening.\n\nSomebody must have told them that their Mexican flags that dominated the \nearlier marches were not making a good impression on television, so they \nstarted flying American flags. But such cosmetic changes did not keep \nthe ugly reality from coming through in their hostile speeches.\n\nThese were not the speeches of people who wanted to join American \nsociety but people who wanted their own turf on American soil -- in \ndisregard and defiance of what American citizens want.\n\nEurope has already been through this "guest worker" policy that we are \nbeing urged to follow. They have learned the hard way what it means to \nhave a growing foreign population in their midst -- a population that \ninsists on remaining foreign and hostile to the culture, values and \npeople around them.\n\nSome European countries have learned this lesson at the cost of riots \nand bloodshed in the streets and lives lost in terrorist attacks. Others \nhave only had to contend with national polarization -- thus far -- but \npolarization is not a small thing.\n\nIn this country, however, there are still people who refuse to learn any \nlesson at all. Some business interests see only an opportunity to get \ncheap labor. Some intellectuals see only abstract principles about \nabstract people crossing an abstract border.\n\nSome tell us loftily that earlier generations of immigrants who were \nonce thought to be unassimilable turned out over time to become as \nAmerican as anyone else and patriotic citizens.\n\nThat might well be true of immigrants from Mexico, both legal and \nillegal, if the circumstances of today were the same as the \ncircumstances during an earlier era of immigration from Europe. But \ncircumstances are not the same -- and those circumstances are not going \nto become the same by pretending that they are.\n\nThe ugly display of grievance-mongering bombast at the illegal immigrant \nmarches is just one of those circumstances that are not the same as in \nan earlier era.\n\nWhen people came here from Europe, they came here to become Americans. \nThere was no prouder title for them.\n\nAmerican generals of German ancestry led the fight against Germany in \nboth World Wars. The Irish "Fighting 69th" earned its fame on the \nbattlefields of the First World War and Japanese American fighting units \nwere among the most highly decorated in World War II. They proved they \nwere Americans.\n\nThe underlying tragedy of the present situation is that it is doubtful \nwhether the activist loudmouths, who were too contemptuous of this \ncountry to even speak its language while demanding its benefits, \nrepresent most immigrants from Mexico.\n\nBoth legal and illegal immigrants have come here primarily to work and \nmake a better life for themselves and their families. But a country \nrequires more than workers. It requires people who are citizens not only \nin name but in commitment.\n\nAmericanization did not happen automatically in earlier times and it \nwill not happen automatically today. Immigrants in an earlier era had \nleaders and organizations actively working to transform them into \nAmericans -- the Catholic Church with the Irish and numerous \norganizations among the Jews, for exampl
500422
"Do your own research...!!!"\n\nIs it not only fair to find out what Opus Dei has to say about itself?? or go just by others opinions?\n \nhttp://www.opusdei.org/
136231
i wrote a paper in college on the rise of fascism in europe in the 1930s.  in this paper i examined the characteristics of fascism, using historical information about well-defined fascist states like germany and italy, as well as mussolini's own writings on fascism.  some of the common characteristics of a fascist state are:\n\n- political power is centralized under a single person, not necessarily a dictator but one who is charismatic and regarded as a personal embodiment of the nation, in that their will is seen to express the will of the nation.  such a person usually comes to power by legal means (elections generally) and then gradually and unilaterally increases the scope of their power.\n\n- the regime is supported by a very strong military, especially one that includes various paramilitary militia-like groups.  examples are the italian "blackshirts" or the austrian "heimwehr" (there are many others) that are ostensibly about protecting the homeland, but are only loosely attached to the government and are officially described as a "grassroots" sort of movement.\n\n- the mood is extremely nationalistic, replete with official slogans, massive parades and propaganda extolling the glories of the nation or people.  there is a lot of religious imagery that implies a divine right of sorts and lends an almost mythical aura of invincibility and justness to the cause.  \n\n- the economics are extremely right-wing - workers' unions and socialists are suppressed outright while corporations are seen as the fundamental unit of economic activity.  the arts and intellectuals are dismissed as worthless, or effeminate, compared to the manly activities of industry and warfare.  sexism is also rampant.\n\n- opposition is suppressed by overt censorship and an ever-increasing degree of terrorism by those that support the fascist group.  those who oppose the fascists might find their windows broken, and then their homes torched, and so on.  minorities are also systematically persecuted, both economically and physically.  mass media is controlled by the state.\n\n- policies are reactionary (as opposed to preventative), revisionist (mistakes, policy reversals or otherwise undesirable history is erased or officially removed from the record as though they were never there), and imperialist (the fascist state tries to expand its territory or assert political/economic dominance over its neighbors.)\n\nso that said, let's look at how these conditions apply to the united states:\n\n- political power is rather decentralized - the president does have many powers but cannot really do much without support from congress, cannot make policy that applies to state or local jurisdiction,  and has limited powers.  bush's approval rating is in the low 40% these days, which hardly qualifies him as the recipient of the widespread idolatry that is typical of a fascist leader.\n\n- the US military is very strong, but is largely engaged in foreign activities whereas local law enforcement agencies enforce the laws at home.  there have been some scattered groups that remind me of the paramilitary militias, especially the so-called "minutemen" who stand armed guard over the mexican border.  however the US government has been clear in its lack of support.  also the name of the Department of Homeland Security has fascist overtones that remind me of the "heimswehr" (literally "home guard" in german) but this is tenuous.\n\n- nationalism has been on the upswing especially since 9/11 but i think it is starting to wane, especially as the war in iraq continues.  you do see a lot of "support our troops" and flag magnets around, but this is relatively minor compared to the patriotic songs and government-issued nationalistic propaganda that are common under fascist states.  certainly there is none of the religious glory-of-our-nation stuff, but the "axis of evil" and "good will pr
457940
Obsession with National Security:\nFear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.\n\nObsession with Crime and Punishment:\nUnder 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.\n\nThese are 2 characteristics of Fascism, all 14 characteristics can be viewed at the link provided.
603383
Probably many more--just by word of mouth. I do not understand your use of facism--are you talking about your question??
819596
What a brilliant topic!  You coulld write heaps on this.  Three items I'd be prepared to give up? Let's see, I object to too much government interference in my life, but acknowledge the need for a central organising power.  So, perhaps look at what changes have happened, especially since 9/11, to personal freedoms. And what people have seemed to accept, more or less willingly, in order to ensure safety.  It's much easier to list three items you WOULDN"T give up.  I wouldn't give up right to free speech, for example.  It's too important.
852656
In my opinion:\n\n1.  Parents and role models\n2.  Society\n3.  Religion and the Believe in God, Our Supreme Being or anything greater than ourselves.\n4.  Education\n5.  And of course, character, which is all of the above redefined within each and every person.....sometimes we forget that we are just human....and then we go back to #3.\n6.  Sometimes we forget our family...and we go back and touch base with #1.\n\nIt's a combination of all of the above and that's called culture...sometimes it lasts a lifetime, sometimes we change...when we move, or are moved by society...again it depends on what we are first, and then how we react to what happens to us in life.\n\nWe are only human and GOD says...come just as you are!...by the way, GOD's the only One that accepts me that way.
613400
Che was a mixed bag. I have che stuff, because he was a fighter for his people and other peoples against the domination by capitalist first world bullies.  He was hardcore. he would shoot any of his men that disobeyed orders.\nhe oversaw executions in cuba.  I respect that he was willing to fight, and was a smart man.  He was an old school marxist. If he was alive today he and I would have very divergent views of what is good for the world/socialism/the poor.\n\nMy favorite thing about Che is that his ticks off the facists.
759641
1 demagogue\n\n. has leadership qualities but appeals to people's emotion and prejudices to with them over\n\n2 anarchist\n\nrejects all forms of organization or authority\n\n3 archenemy\n\nshows hostility toward others or toward a chif opponent\n\n4  archtype \n\nis the original model after which others will be patterened\n\n5  archaic\n\nis old-fashioned and not modern\n\n\nwaiting for my ten points.........
114106
I didn't know that sociologist and feminsts could exist as two seperate entities. I also think that illogical-fanatical devotion to hard left ideals is part of the job requirements as well..