We appear to have all but two of the fourteen characteristics in the UK.

Cheers,

Jon






>From: Chris Jones <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to poetry and
>             poetics <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: 14 most common characteristics of facsim
>Date: Thu, 1 May 2003 19:40:42 +1000
>
>Rate your country on this score sheet of the 14 most common
>characteristics of fascism.
>
>I think Australia gets a perfect score on both sides of the Government.
>Labor is the prototype inventor and then the Liberal/Nationals come in
>and turn the screws and then Labor comes back and tweaks the system and
>then.... like good fascist/bad fascist.
>
>Chris Jones.
>
>
>By: Dr. Lawrence Britt, Free Inquiry magazine -- a journal of humanist
>thought.
>
>
>The 14 characteristics are:
>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. Opposition to abortion is high, as is
>homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
>
>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 is openly attacked, and
>governments often refuse to fund the arts.
>
>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 fore-go 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.


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