Mussolini in his own words.

[MGKrebs]

In 1932 Mussolini wrote (with the help of Giovanni Gentile) and entry for the Italian Encyclopedia on the definition of fascism.

Fascism... believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace. It thus repudiates the doctrine of Pacifism -- born of a renunciation of the struggle and an act of cowardice in the face of sacrifice. War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have courage to meet it. All other trials are substitutes, which never really put men into the position where they have to make the great decision -- the alternative of life or death....

...Fascism combats the whole complex system of democratic ideology, and repudiates it, whether in its theoretical premises or in its practical application. Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a majority, can direct human society; it denies that numbers alone can govern by means of a periodical consultation, and it affirms the immutable, beneficial, and fruitful inequality of mankind, which can never be permanently leveled through the mere operation of a mechanical process such as universal suffrage....

...The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question cannot be the individual, but the State alone....

...For Fascism, the growth of empire, that is to say the expansion of the nation, is an essential manifestation of vitality, and its opposite a sign of decadence. Peoples which are rising, or rising again after a period of decadence, are always imperialist; and renunciation is a sign of decay and of death.

But empire demands discipline, the coordination of all forces and a deeply felt sense of duty and sacrifice: this fact explains many aspects of the practical working of the regime, the character of many forces in the State, and the necessarily severe measures which must be taken against those who would oppose this ... movement.

For if a doctrine must be a living thing, this is proved by the fact that Fascism has created a living faith; and that this faith is very powerful in the minds of men is demonstrated by those who have suffered and died for it.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/mussolini-fascism.html

[TahitiNut]

1. And that's why I call the facetious führer "Busholini"!

It couldn't be clearer.

[Cleita]

2. Yep. People better start learning their terms.

A young girl recently said to me that Bush was like a communist. I corrected her and said Bush was really a fascist and told her the difference. I told her she had Soviet totalitarianism that was called communism confused with fascism Soviet style.

[punpirate]

3. And we all know what happened...

... when that majority he despised got tired of him defining which freedoms of theirs were useless....

[TahitiNut]

4. Yes; and I'm looking forward to an encore!

I think such a spectacle would go a loooong way to restoring democracy.

[punpirate]

5. Ah, well...

... he's such a pinhead, one couldn't keep his neck in a noose. I'll settle for his permanent banishment to Crawford. :P

[TahitiNut]

6. His head isn't an issue.

Behold the marriage vows in action:

[slor]

7. Thanks for posting! n/t

[Owlet]

8. I'm sure this has been posted before...

..but it doesn't hurt to look at it again. Number 14 is the one that has my attention just now.

http://www.rense.com/general37/fascism.htm


The 14 Defining
Characteristics Of Fascism
Free Inquiry
Spring 2003
5-11-3

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 haracteristics
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 opposedto 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.

[MGKrebs]

9. I am sure it has too.

But we must be reminded from time to time. This is what we are fighting against.

The Republican Party is being hijacked by fascists, and the people don't even realize it. True conservatives are getting some uneasy feelings right about now, but they have been overwhelmed. Perhaps they will get their shit together and split the Party and thereby expose the fascists for who they are. But I doubt it.

People who identify with conservatism have given up on democracy. The daily actions of Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Bush, and the Neocons are clear evidence. They disguise their coup with words that convey the exact opposite of what they are doing, and people accept their words. In the meantime , they are kicking out the foundations of democracy. Many 'conservative' sources even now talk about how we are not a democracy. This presumably makes the idea of abandoning democracy moot. They talk about postponing elections. They talk about 'democracy' in Iraq, even though only 2 of the 6 major political parties that have been 'approved' are Shiite. (Shiite's make up 60% of the population.)

They talk about affirmative action being discrimination. As if racism no longer exists.
They talk about protecting the symbol of freedom by outlawing the very freedom it symbolizes.
They question a veteran's right to speak out, even though it was the very right he was sent to protect.
They demand the resignation of reporters of allegedly forged documents, but welcome the use of proven forged documents by their own masters.
They call those who question the government traitors, but celebrate those in the government who violate oaths of secrecy.
They even try to force us to somehow shun hundreds of years of science in order to promote a faith based belief system that encourages....no, demands, that we, and our children, accept the word of our (their?) leaders on faith, with no evidence and no questions.


fas·cism
n. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of government.


Oppressive, dictatorial control.

[smirkymonkey]

10. What a load of crap!

Not only was he evil, he was insane. Hey, just like.. um...oh, never mind.