What Is Fascism?
Characteristics of Fascism
The 14 characteristics are:
The 14 characteristics are:
- 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.
What is Fascism?
Fascism is an authoritarian nationalist government system. Fascist governments are rooted in the same central values of anti-communism, anti-liberalism, and anti-conservatism. Fascist politics often gain widespread support by proposing the idea of the need for national rebirth. This idea suggests that the current society within the country has reached moral decay, has lost its greatness, and must now be cleansed.
Fascism is rooted in nationalism. The leader of the government and its proponents push for a single-party rule, suggesting that this allows for efficiency and effectiveness which makes it possible to respond quickly to military threats and economic problems. The leader of a fascist government is typically a dictator and its administration is often made up of military members.
History of FascismThe ideas and theories that led to the development of fascism began in the 1880s. The end of the century brought around a widely shared idea that society was in crisis and needed to be saved. This movement was against materialism, democracy, and rationalism. These ideas continued to develop over the next three decades. World War I was the final event that ultimately led to the foundation of the Fascist party.
In Italy, members of the Socialist party disagreed on the approach to the war, with some members supporting it and others opposing it and questioning its necessity. Benito Mussolini joined an anti-German movement and founded the Fasci of Revolutionary Action group. By 1915, the ideology of the group became known as fascism. The group gained support and popularity and in 1922, the King of Italyrequested that Mussolini create a new government. He was first the Prime Minister before becoming a fascist dictator and declaring a fascist state in 1925. The political movement grew in popularity and Italy began international military attacks and ethnic cleansing campaigns. This caught the attention of the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler.
As the Nazi movement grew, fascism became more popular throughout Europe. Fascist protests and revolts spread, and the system was adopted by several governments. It was adopted by Hungary in 1932 and Romania in 1933. Fascist political parties caused turmoil in France in 1934. And semi-fascist governments were established in Greece, Lithuania, Yugoslavia, and Poland. It even made its way across the ocean to Brazil and Chile in South America. After World War II, fascism gave way to neo-fascism, which can still be found on a small scale in some countries.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of fascism as a system of government are many. The biggest problem with this political party is its reliance on dictatorship. As seen with the Nazi party leading up to and during World War II, having only one governmental leader with absolute control can result in heinous crimes and abuses of power. Corruption is more prone to occur under fascism as well, given the lack of governmental checks and balances. The nationalistic attitudes also result in ideas of genetic purity which has, more times than not, ended in ethnic cleansing campaigns that claim the lives of millions.