I found this article from Free Inquiry Magazine on the Characteristics of Fascism would be something worth reading now. After all there are some amazing similarities with them in Canada now. Sorry is is long:
The 14 Characteristics of Fascism
Political scientist Dr.
Lawrence Britt recently wrote an article about fascism ("Fascism
Anyone?," Free Inquiry, Spring 2003, page 20).
Studying the fascist
regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto
(Indonesia), and Pinochet (Chile), Dr. Britt found they all had 14 elements in
common. He calls these the identifying characteristics of fascism. The excerpt
is in accordance with the magazine's policy.
The 14 characteristics
are:
Powerful and
Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to
make constant use of patriotic mottoes, 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 the 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.
