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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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.

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.

http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/fasci14chars.html

To bad this won't be plastered front page in every newspaper.

I know it's been around for a while now but I feel like it kind of defines fascim downward, or at least it's a departure from older traditional definitions. It seems like this list of characteristics is kind of reverse engineered by asking a question like "How can I write a definition of fascism so it sounds like it describes the modern US system, or close to it?". And the intended reaction from the reader is supposed to be Wow that sounds like the modern USA.

The characteristics of fascim I learned in school came out of a book called "Today's Isms" by William Ebenstein. I tried to find that definition online just now but no luck.
So just going by memory of something I read as a teenager 20 years ago, in other words this is not exact, but it included things like

- A cult of personality centered around a charismatic leader.
- Violent suppression of political dissent.
- Centrally planned economy with a merger of government and business interests.
- Complete subjugation of the rights of the individual for the benefit of the state.
- Intense constant propaganda to ensure consent of the people.
- Fanatical anti-communism. (Something which would go far beyond "labor power supressed" from the Lawrence Britt list above).
- And then all the racism, scapegoating, permanent war footing, etc.


Opinions may vary of course. I sympathize with motive of a definition that points out the danger of an advanced capitalist state blossoming into fascism. It's a legitimate concern and it is spooky how many of those traits are common between our modern society and those traditionally considered fascist. It causes one to think about whether we are headed that direction or when we will get there.

Still I just wonder whether by watering down the definition of fascism we lose a bit of understanding of how frightening fascism actually is, and so why it should be avoided.

I'm sure some would argue that we're already past a point of no return on the road to fascism, or that our democracy is more pretense than reality. I don't think we're there yet, even though there is cause for concern.

although the warning signs are in place.

Greece is probably closer - appreciate Starry sharing this article in light of what is going on there.

There are certainly fascist groups in the country, but mostly we battle with very conservative ultra-right groups. If we didn't struggle against them, they might blossom into something worse, but I think the economy would have to be even more in the toilet for that to happen.

I was in a conversation with someone on Facebook, and we were talking about the "rational fascism" of some people who can appear perfectly normal, but have hateful views that they veil in scientific sounding language. Charles Murray of "Bell Curve" infamy for example. I remembered this article and gave him the link, but also thought it might be useful here too.

Behind the street gangs and blackshirted thugs there is often this "rationale" from a strain of "scientific" writers. Often funded by conservative financial backers who are important in the economy of the country. They know that socialism can threaten in economic crisis and invest to get fascism going to combat it.

Because science is structured by power. It owes its very existence as a category to power.