“The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the
people tolerate the growth of private power to a point where it becomes
stronger than their democratic state itself. That, in its essence, is
Fascism — ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by
any other controlling private power.” Franklin D Roosevelt
The first is the article “Fascism Anyone?” by Laurence Britt, which is expertly broken down by POAC in this article as follows:
1.) Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
2.) Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
3.) Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
4.) Supremacy of the Military
5.) Rampant Sexism
6.) Controlled Mass Media
7.) Obsession with National Security
8.) Religion and Government are Intertwined
9.) Corporate Power is Protected
10.) Labor Power is Suppressed
11.) Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
12.) Obsession with Crime and Punishment
13.) Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
14. Fraudulent Elections
The second is Naomi Klein’s excellent April 2007 article entitled “Fascist America in 10 Easy Steps”, in which she describes Fascism as follows:
1. Invoke a terrifying internal and external enemy
2. Create a gulag (Guantanamo will do)
3. Develop a thug caste
4. Set up an internal surveillance system
5. Harass citizens’ groups
6. Engage in arbitrary detention and release
7. Target key individuals
8. Control the press
9. Dissent equals treason