General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJust why won't the major media spokespeople call Trump and his associates fascists?
The Republicans Party has been pursuing fascist agenda for the last forty plus years. I am going to once again post Professor Britt's "The 14 Characteristics of Fascism. It provides clear blueprint of the Republican Party's intent to establish a fascist dictatorship:
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.
niyad
(113,293 posts)at140
(6,110 posts)401-K's.
BComplex
(8,049 posts)democrats (except for Chris Hayes) don't call trump a traitor.
They're scared of a backlash that is based on 40 years of republican rule over the message.
The right has been whining about the 'liberal media' so forcefully and long it made journalists oversensitive. They responded by creating the both-siderism we have now. It has been a really effective strategy.
tanyev
(42,553 posts)Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)Maybe the answer is in the ninth criterion?
All "fake news" aside, the corporate media is doing fine. Why would they want to sever or damage their very special relationship and future influence? They would be far more concerned about protecting and promoting corporate power than they would be about stopping Fascism. What do they have to lose here?
All of Predator Grump's "fake news" idea has done is create a confusing and false dichotomy for his own benefit and it is a part of the divisive nature of a Fascist. It obviously is geared towards his developmentally challenged base.
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.
That answers the question as far as I can see.
olegramps
(8,200 posts)Unfortunately, since I am in my 80s I doubt that I will see the situation signifently corrected. The control of such a large contingent of our citizens will not be easily rectified. Especially since there is a gross lack of civics education in our schools according to some of the educators I have heard make this charge.
BComplex
(8,049 posts)I don't know how we can possibly put Humpty-Dumpty together again after this.