Facets of Fascism

Prominent nationalistic displays; patriotic slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.*

Reverence for the Military; Military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, Soldiers and military service are glamorized.*

* Excerpted, (paraphrased) "Fascism Anyone?," L. Britt, Free Inquiry , Spring 2003

And here we are:

Think Main st. Cobleskill; US flags on every street light pole and banners depicting military "heroes," and flags of the various military divisions too, Other Main Streets probably look the same. Cobleskill-Richmondville High School graduation ceremony where military veterans in the audience were asked to stand to be recognized. And military recruiters welcomed in our schools. Flags, pledges and prayers usual at every government meeting. And, recognize the excessive 2022 military budget while we can't end child poverty or fund any other domestic needs!

And there is so much more:

Patriarchal culture and gender issues; 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.*

Religion and Government 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.*

 

Controlled Mass Media; Sometimes 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.*

* Excerpted, (paraphrased) "Fascism Anyone?," L. Britt, Free Inquiry , Spring 2003

And here we are:

Recognize the terrible violence against transgender people. Note the proliferation of state legislation restricting abortion (and the war on Roe V. Wade abortion rights, soon to be considered by SCOTUS), the book-burning-like assault on literature dealing with LGBTQ+ issues, and the over-zealous prosecution of whistle-blowers using the 100 year old Espionage Act from the First World War insanity, including the outrageous assault on freedom of the press and the decade long persecution of Julian Assange. And FOX so-called news!

More Facets of Fascism

It has been a year since the attempted coup. Undoubtedly there will be all sorts of commentators telling us what happened that day, not all that helpful. Some will attempt to access the risk of further insurrectionist efforts, more useful I guess. Most importantly, we need to learn what we must do to protect democracy. To that end please read on.

One of the most commonly recognized features of fascism is the inclusion of, and dependency upon, large corporations in the management of the state's economy. Mussolini expressly stated such in his corporatist economic system.

In this recent report by Accountable we can see where many of our large corporations stand by looking at their post Jan. 6 statements and their actions concerning financial support for particular politicians. https://www.accountable.us/research/in-bad-company/#JJ

A year ago, violent rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol, armed with Trump’s Big Lie and bolstered by a cabal of extreme-right Congress members who refused to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

As the words “January 6” morphed from a date on the calendar to the invocation of an American tragedy, our democracy continued to face threats from Trump’s continued election fraud lies. By year’s end, over 30 state laws would be enacted making it harder for Americans to vote and a European think tank would label the U.S. a “backsliding democracy.” And despite all of this, corporations and trade groups still donated over $8.1 million to the 147 members of the Sedition Caucus ¹—the members of Congress who validated dangerous myths of voter fraud by objecting to election certification.  

Here’s the list of fascist collaborators on both sides of the $$$$ flow:  Where is your wealth parked?  BDS as you can!    WRS

Summary | Altria Group | Boeing | Chevron | Cigna | Duke Energy | Eli Lilly | ExxonMobil | FedEx | General Dynamics | General Motors | Johnson & Johnson | L3Harris Technologies | Lockheed Martin | Merck | Northrop Grumman | Pfizer | Raytheon Technologies | Regions Financial | UPS | Valero Energy | American Bankers Association | Associated Builders and Contractors | Credit Union National Association | Crop Insurance Professionals Association | Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America | National Automobile Dealers Association | National Cattlemen’s Beef Association | National Electric Contractors Association | National Shooting Sports Foundation | National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association