Fourteen Defining
Characteristics Of Fascism
By Dr. Lawrence Britt
Source Free Inquiry.co
5-28-3
Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany),
Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin
American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost
exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are
made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the
state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. 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.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the
government over the masses.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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 and letters is openly attacked.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.