The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism.

I was watching yet another Trump “campaign” a few days ago. I’ve always believed that Trump’s campaign rallies are very reminiscent of 1930s Germany. It inspired me to research what really constitutes Fascism, which led me to a definition of Fascism compiled by Dr. Lawrence Britt many years ago. He analysed analyzed Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto and a number of South American regimes. From that analysis, he established the 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism, and guess what? They map directly to Trump’s policies, practices and political positions more than I ever imagined. The evidence is crystal clear and abundant.

The following list defines the 14 characteristics along with their definitions - and a few of Trump’s gems as examples. Some of the examples are repeated because Trump has managed to match one statement to more than one characteristic of Fascism.

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.

Mottos and slogans: Make America Great Again, Build the Wall, Lock ‘er Up, Drain the Swamp. Songs: Lee Greenwood, God Bless the USA. Symbols and paraphernalia: Truckers’ hats, Purple Heart, “I always wanted one”.

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.

“Muslim ban”; “Muslim database”; “kiII their families”; “torture works”; “more than waterboarding”; “if I tell generals to do it [war crimes], they will do it”; women who’ve had abortions should be penalized.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - In Fascist regimes, 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.

Mexicans, Muslims, Chinese, African Americans; “get-em-outta-here”; Crooked Hillary, Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco; the media; calling the US Intel Community Nazis; Russians are OK though.

4. Supremacy of the Military - In a Fascist regime, 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.

Cutting funding for Meals on Wheels, CPB and after school programs, while increasing the Homeland Security and Defense budgets.

“We need to make our military so big, so powerful, we never have to use it” - even though Trump clearly knows we already have the most powerful and formidable military in the world by a wide margin, and that conventional military power isn’t the key to asymmetric warfare.

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. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

“Grab ‘em by the p---y”,“You have to treat women like s--t”; “A woman who is very flat chested is very hard to be a 10.”; “Perhaps I’d date my daughter.”; “Look at that face”; “Fat pig”; women who’ve had abortions should be penalized.

Support of Roger Ailes’ and Bill O’Reilly’s multiple cases of sexual harassment.

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 Fascist media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

“News media is the enemy of the American People”; “lying media”; open up libel laws.

Roger AiIes; Sean Hannity; Bill O’Reilly; Rush Limbaugh; Steve Bannon; Alex Jones; Mark Levin.

7. Obsession with National Security - In a Fascist state, fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bring crime. They’re rapists”; “Muslim Ban”; “Muslim Database”,

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.

“Christianity, it's under siege”; “An amendment, pushed by Lyndon Johnson many years ago, threatens religious institutions with a loss of their tax-exempt status if they openly advocate their political views.”; Selecting Christian Dominionist Pence as his running mate.

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.

“I give to everybody. when they call, I give. And do you know what? When I need something from them two years later, three years later, I call them, they are there for me.”

Strategic bankruptcy protection; frivolous lawsuits; shortchanging contractors and vendors; usage of eminent domain to acquire other people’s property; cabinet rife with a record number of corporate and Wall Street elite.

Nominating people to head agencies who are hostile to those agencies’ very purpose. Why? To protect corporate interests and profits.

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.

“Taxes too high, wages too high, we’re not going to be able to compete against the world”; “Having a low minimum wage isn’t a bad thing”.

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 and letters is openly attacked.

“Climate Change is a Chinese hoax”; “I'm smart, You’re stupid”; “I love the poorly educated” which is fine, but Trump also despises the “intellectual elite”.

Andy Warhol: “I still hate the Trumps”; Artspace Magazine: “He's hardly the only artist to hate Trump”.

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.

(“Law and Order President”; “The Central Park 5”; “bring back Stop and Frisk”; Women who have abortions should be punished; “Lock ‘er Up”)

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.

Family members and a record number of Wall Street cronies in his Administration.

“I give to everybody. when they call, I give. And do you know what? When I need something from them two years later, three years later, I call them, they are there for me.”

Trump Foundation : Paid a fine for illegal campaign contributions, admitted to illegal self-dealing, admitted to accepting illegal donations, under a cease and desist order.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in Fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against 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.

“The election is rigged”; “We should just cancel the election and declare me the winner”;.

At least a dozen confirmed contacts with Russian Oligarchs, Diplomats and/or Intelligence agents, despite Trump and associates publicly refuting it 20 times with absolutes such as ‘zero involvement’.