You going to just leave it at that? No examples? No explanation?
I have what those of us in the workforce call a job and in the course of performing that job I only get a couple minutes every few hours to check the forum and post, so my replies are usually very short. It's not till I arrive home that I can devote the necessary time and effort into making longer, more thorough, posts.
You just expect us to take your word for it?
It would appear as though you took Dr. Britt's word for it... Why not mine?
Make your case with the facts if you disagree.
It's rather convenient that Dr. Britt was not asked to present facts and make his case, of course he couldn't... Because the facts about Fascism would not have led his readers to the conclusion that he wanted.
Who do you see as promoting one or more of the above characteristics? Why?
Republicans of course! That's the whole point of this propaganda piece. It's a more creative way for some Leftist to declare, "Republicans are Fascists!"
It's really quite brilliant from a propaganda perspective. Leftists already "know" that Republicans are Fascists, right? Half your work is done for you right there, all you have to do is present something to reinforce their opinion and they will swallow it whole without the slightest bit of intellectual curiosity or critical thinking taking place.
By looking at the Republican party and harvesting all the necessary stereotypes about what the Left already "knows", racists, sexists, bigots, homophobes, religious zealots, flag waving militants etc. from there you can simply pick and choose which of the Republican stereotypes fit certain aspects of Fascism, mix in some misinformation, flat out make stuff up when necessary, and viola! The 14 characteristics of "Fascism" is born.
After all, your target audience already "knows" what you're saying is true so it's not like they're going to actually think about it. As long as it reinforces their opinion that "Republicans are Fascists!", they could really care less about the accuracy of any claims being made.
Now lets get onto the 14 points and why they are wrong... Dr. Britt left out some very important aspects of Fascism that can only be overlooked for the purpose of misleading his audience.
1. Dictatorship - Fascist States have a popular and charismatic dictator at the helm who wields totalitarian control of the State. All political power is vested in "Das Fuhrer", "Il'Duche", "El, Presidente", or whatever they refer to themselves as being. They pick their underlings, who pick their underlings and so on, eliminating the need for democratic elections.
2. Single party rule - All opposition political parties are banned, only the Fascist party is allowed to exist and it takes over every aspect of a society; art, culture, business, industry, religious institutions etc. Any political opposition to the ruling party is suppressed or eradicated. This entails mass arrests, internment in political prisons without trial, and/or mass murder.
3. No elections - The author cites "Fraudulent Elections" as a characteristic of Fascism but there are no elections in a Fascist State, fraudulent or otherwise. Fascists who have come to power in a democratic election (as opposed to a coup or revolution) managed to do so by means of violence. Paramilitary groups employ brutal tactics to intimidate voters and opposition groups in order to prevent the "wrong people" from voting. No need to stuff the ballot box when you control who makes it into the pols.
4. Martial Law - All civil liberties are suspended indefinitely. This allows the State the autonomy to search for, arrest, incarcerate, and even execute, civilians without so much as a warrant, trial, or other formality getting in the way of purging the population of those seen as a threat to the State.
5. Entitlement Programs - Nazi Germany was one of the first states to successfully implement a National Welfare Service, Universal Healthcare and Old Age Pension (social security). These programs were so successful at placating the population that other Fascist States followed suit.
6. Flag Waving - Dr. Britt cites the popularity of a nations flag as a sign of Fascism but that ignores an obvious truth. The Nazi's didn't use the flag of the Wiemar Republic, they didn't use the Kaiser's flag, they created their own. Fascists in Italy modified the Italian flag to include the "Fasces", a Fascist symbol of power that looks like an axe wrapped in sticks. Point being, Fascists don't wave the flag of the country they are trying to take over, they have their own.
7. Religion - Dr. Britt claims religion and government are intertwined in Fascism. Religion didn't push it's way into Fascist governments, the State forcibly took over all religious institutions to make sure the congregations were hearing a message approved by the party. Thousands of German clerics were arrested, imprisoned, and even murdered, during the Nazi purge of religious institutions.
As Joseph Goebbels himself said, "National Socialism is a religion. All we lack is a religious genius capable of uprooting outmoded religious practices and putting new ones in their place. We lack traditions and ritual. One day soon National Socialism will be the religion of all Germans. My Party is my church, and I believe I serve the Lord best if I do his will, and liberate my oppressed people from the fetters of slavery. That is my gospel."
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Those are just some of the problems I found with Dr. Britt's 14 points, there are others but I've already said more than most of you will bother reading. It's clear why Dr. Britt had to leave out such things as Dictatorship, the Welfare State, and Single Party rule, these things would undermine the purpose of his 14 characteristics, to colorfully say, "Republicans are Fascists!"