FASCISM

Liberals are fond of calling Conservatives “fascists” and “racists” and other lovely epithets. These are truly despicable terms, which flash disturbing images of Hitler, concentration camps, mass murder, the enslavement of citizens by tyrants, and imperialism. Fascism as perfected by the Nazis easily represents the lowest point to which humanity has ever sunk. When a Liberal brands someone with Conservative beliefs as a fascist, the victim usually dismisses the accusation as utter nonsense or recoils in shock and anger. But do you ever wonder what the hell the Liberals are really talking about? Do you wonder why this outrageous charge by Liberals has now become so routine? This article allows a Conservative to see himself from a Liberal perspective.

Here are definitions from Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary comparing the two terms:

Conservatism- a political philosophy based on tradition and social stability, stressing established institutions, and preferring gradual development to abrupt change.

Fascism- a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

As I asserted in Conservative v. Liberal World Views - Part I, the essence of Conservatism is the celebration of the individual's free will. So attainment and protection of freedom are central to the Conservative philosophy. Therefore fascism and all forms of tyranny have the exact opposite goal from that of the Conservative. Ironically, it is the Conservative who typically honors the sacrifice of military heroes and patriots responsible for the total destruction of Hitler and similar fascist and racist tyrants.

However, according to SERMON: Living Under Fascism by Rev. Davidson Loehr, First Unitarian Church these are the specific reasons Liberals attempt to assert that Conservatives are fascist:

Identifying Characteristics of Fascism
(Excerpted from Fascism Anyone? By Laurence W. Britt )
[With translation from moonbat to English]

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.

[Translation: Apparently our brave troops, who defeated uber-fascist Hitler, were themselves probably fascist because they were patriotic Americans. Displaying a flag is a symbol that someone loves his country, and the U.S. and other evil western countries are not worthy of such recognition. Flag-waving is considered very un-cool by the Liberal elite, who are still bummed that the Communism thing didn’t work out. So if you wave a flag, or recite the Pledge of Allegiance or sing our national anthem, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation: If you think the events at Abu Ghraib prison were appalling, but doubt that some gal putting panties-on-the-head of terrorists warranted 32 consecutive New York Times front page articles, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation: Some sophisticated Liberals hold that terrorists attacking the U.S. was deserved—that it simply represented a case of “chickens coming home to roost” in repayment for all the “evil” the U.S. has done over the years. After the attack, a bogus “perceived common threat”, President Bush said:

Our nation -- this generation -- will lift a dark threat of violence from our people and our future. We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

If you cheered when Dubya promised this, then you might be a fascist in the throes of a patriotic frenzy.]

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.

[Translation: The military is evil; confiscatory transfer payments from achievers to full-time-Oprah-watchers represent the pinnacle to which a civilization may aspire. So if you favor a strong military or object to major universities from Harvard to Berkeley banning military recruiters or ROTC on campus, then you might be a fascist.]

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. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

[Translation: If you believe that a human life begins at conception, that the sacrament of marriage exists between a man and woman to provide a stable environment for raising children, and that the traditional family is in dire trouble and deserves protection from the Liberal political agenda, then you might be a fascist.]

6. Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes the media are directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media are indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

[Translation: Any news source which departs from the New York Times or PBS Liberal agenda is probably controlled by evil Republican corporations. If you criticize the anointed folks of the mainstream media, then you are attempting censorship, and you might be a fascist.]

7. Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

[Translation: Just like Michael Moore says, the World Trade Center was destroyed by Bush so he could invade Afghanistan and Iraq. If you believe that terrorists are real, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation:

…the greatest threat to our freedom lies not in some mosque in Mecca, but in a simple church in the Bible belt. The time has come for all patriotic Americans to unite under a common cause: getting rid of the Christians…Their backwards, outdated belief system is based on unwavering moral absolutes, which only alienate those enlightened Americans who have no morals at all. Ironically, these so-called "morals" Christians claim to possess aren't even true morals, as they stem not from a Noam Chomsky pamphlet or a Michael Moore film - but from some silly old book they found in a motel room dresser. -Doglip All-Sader

So if you are a Jew or Christian or someone who fails, to embrace the secular humanist agenda as championed by the ACLU, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation: Corporations and the free market economy are evil, as are corporate contributions to political action committees. Only contributions from lawyers and labor unions should be allowed. If you own a share of stock in a corporation, or work for a corporation, or buy anything from a corporation, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation: If you fail to acquiesce to every union demand for exorbitant wages, bloated pensions, or lower productivity; if you believe that unions destroy jobs by driving them into foreign countries; if you believe that every person has the right to choose whether to join a union or pay dues for political purposes, then you might be a fascist.]

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 is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

[Translation: As history will attest, Hitler’s failure to fund the arts was his most egregious error. So don’t dare protest when taxpayer money goes to fund the piss-Christ or feces-smeared-Virgin-Mary “art” exhibits. And if you do, or if you protest when taxpayer funds are used to bankroll vicious America-haters like tenured college professor Ward Churchill, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation: If you favor three strikes laws for repeat violent offenders, life or chemical castration for child molesters, and the death penalty for murderers, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation: Halliburton is evil because…because…uh well Halliburton, Halliburton. If you don’t believe Halliburton is evil and Cheney is their stooge, then you might be a fascist.]

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.

[Translation: Bush stole the election…actually both of them. If you don’t believe this or if you voted for Bush, then you might be a fascist.]

[15. Firearm Confiscation.
Um, actually I added this item to the list because Laurence W. Britt seemed to over-look it despite his extensive “analysis of seven regimes which reveals fourteen common threads”. The Nazi Weapons Law of 1938 was used together with inherited registration lists to seize privately held firearms . Firearms ownership was restricted to Nazi party members.

Gun Control's Nazi Connection

Translation: Guns are a scary right-wing obsession; my Liberal buddies and I don’t like them, so I have omitted the fascists’ consistent gun confiscation pattern from my research. Hopefully, no one will notice that this omission makes my work look sloppy and/or biased.]

Fascism is utterly disgusting; no Conservative would ever allow his country to be taken over by fascists. Perhaps the only thing almost worse than actually being a fascist, is falsely accusing someone of being one. To do so trivializes the horror perpetrated by real fascists and minimizes the honorable sacrifices of those who oppose tyranny--whatever it is called--wherever it raises its ugly head.