With Special Guest....Brian McLain

Posted by Jason Easley on 07.04.2007

In 2004, acclaimed political scientist, Dr. Laurence Britt, authored a brief list of traits found historically in fascist regimes entitled “The Fourteen Points of Fascism”. With each of these points I hope to enlighten the American people to what direction our country is taking, regardless of what party you vote into power. Please understand that it is not too late to restore our Republic and get away from this path peacefully and democratically.

Editor's Note: Over the next several week's Brian McLain will be examing the "The Fourteen Points of Fascism", and how it relates to the United States today.

In 2004, acclaimed political scientist, Dr. Laurence Britt, authored a brief list of traits found historically in fascist regimes entitled "The Fourteen Points of Fascism". Dr. Britt's expertise lie in the study of such regimes as Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, Franco's Spain, Suharto's Indonesia, and Pinochet's Chile so I am quite confident that he knows what he's talking about. With each of these points I hope to enlighten the American people to what direction our country is taking, regardless of what party you vote into power. Please understand that it is not too late to restore our Republic and get away from this path peacefully and democratically...but the window is closing rapidly, and soon there will only be one option left:

Revolution.

Now that I have officially red flagged myself, please enjoy my posts with an open mind and feel free to argue, comment, disagree, defend and above all else, express your opinion. We may not be afforded such liberties in the future.

POINT ONE: POWERFUL AND CONTINUING EXPRESSIONS OF NATIONALISM

This is not a new concept to the United States. Since the birth of this country there has been a very strong sense of nationalism that has flown within this nation, and it had lead to a lot of deaths and harassments. In the time of the Framers, Tories were granted about the same courtesies as blacks in 1930s Alabama, and many a politician capitalized on this fervor. The real turning point was when the source of the nationalism began to be filtered to the people from the government, not the other way around. Since the first World War, government forced and influenced nationalism became a new tool for war in a nation bent on staying out of international conflicts. Anti-sedition laws and political imprisonment was a suppliment to the encouraged outrage and burning of German books while "God" had made it Woodrow Wilson's solemn duty to "make the world safe for Democracy[business ventures]".

From there we enter the Cold War, and a whole new ballgame. Any deviation from the white picket fence America that was designated by the government and other business outlets was attacked as Communist influenced and largely un-American. I'm not talking Communists hitting the bricks with signs and slogans or calls to expand into Marxism. I'm talking about women going out and being breadwinners, blacks who wanted civil liberties recognized, homosexuals, people who like rock music, Lucy Ricardo??! You must act American, this is how an American acts, this is what an American thinks. If you don't think this way, there is something wrong with you!

Propoganda shows the way, and drives nationalistic tendencies, shows who the real enemy is, have pride in your country. Don't have a flag to fly, here..have the one I've been wrapping myself in. State influenced and encouraged nationalism is a dangerous tactic used to protect the actions of officials and directs the blindly patriotic to do their bidding.

Claims that the "Iraq war may be the greatest gift we give our grandchildren", specifically named patriotic operations of war so that they might be plastered upon every fallen soldier's headstone, increased use of military personnel or other patriotically symbolic figures in political rallies, and the glorification and justification in the use of force.

Do not allow yourself to be a puppet! You hold up a flag in one hand, you better be holding up a copy of the Constitution in the other. Or simply go off into the dark and blindly chant USA as your government takes way the very freedoms they claim your sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts, cousins and dear friends are dying for! GI Joe is alive and well in America, but it is being used in a way meant to direct us in a specific way without our knowing.

Point Two: Disdain for the importance of human rights

This one has not quite been quite as blunt in the US as it has in other fascist states; however it is slowing getting there. Dressing the use of torture as necessary methods of interrogation is very much in the ballpark of human rights violations. Holding people for indefinite amounts of time without access to communication with council or family is a violation of human rights. The thing that is keeping this point off the map for this country so far is there is no firm direction to designate torture as "okay" yet.

We have instances where the administration, select members of Congress and political pundits consistently argue that doing such inhumane things to people is within our right to protect the American people. Then we bounce back to the "The United States does not practice torture", and simply hiding the torture methods. However as Bush puts pen to paper and signs a new bill getting rid of Habeas Corpus for terror suspects (regardless of citizenship status with the US, mind you) and allowing hearsay arguments in tribunal cases, we are approaching that point of fascism very quickly.

Oh, and Guantanamo closing down is a red herring, as the United States is currently building prisons in Afghanistan to house prisoners secretly. Further new power allows the President to determine what acceptable interrogation methods are and set the limit on torture. That simply means if somebody practices the method of "hobble" on a detainee (reference: please see the movie 'Misery'), the president just has to say "That is not torture! That is an acceptable interrogation method". All that is really left now is the government to begin a big propaganda campaign to justify everything.

Restore the Republic!

Scotsman