People bristle when someone attacks our government as fascist. But is that an unfair assessment – an incorrect name for our society?
Fascism is: nationalism, statism, militarism, totalitarianism, anti-communism, corporatism, populism, collectivism, and opposition to economic and political liberalism.
nationalism: You are with us or against us. We are going to make the world over via force. My country right or wrong. Preemptive strikes. Anti- “frogs”, “Islam”, “Mexicans”, and just about any people or country not ours. “Our” country is better, smarter, etc. and justified in protecting and projecting its interests around the globe.
statism: The government (the state) takes a significant portion of earnings from individuals and organizations. It redistributes it. Its agencies interfere with free markets via regulation and taxation, if not outright ownership. Marked by state-run retirement, state-run medical payments, state-controlled energy, state run “charity”, state-controlled militia, state-controlled media (fcc), state-controlled travel (tsa)
militarism: We have ignored the warnings against “as standing army” and “the military-industrial complex”. Half our government budget (which at half of the gross national product equals a quarter of our GNP) is spent militarily. The USA has troops on the ground occupying portions of 130 countries. Name another country that even comes close to being as militarized.
totalitarianism: (wherein the state regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior). Oh, we aren’t completely there yet, but try boarding an airliner without feeling the pinch… try using marijuana for glaucoma or a number of other places where your doctor might prescribe it… try opening a bank account without providing the number that legally “is not for identification purposes”… try finding a jury that knows it is supposed to judge the legitimacy of the law as well as the case against you for violating it (see www.fija.org)… try finding a medium of exchange (currency) that isn’t controlled by the state.
anti-communism: do I really need to describe the poster child of previous US war efforts here?
corporatism: People have rights, liberties and liabilities. With liberty comes responsibility. Corporations cannot go to prison or be executed no matter how heinous their crime. Corporations are government inventions which protect people from accepting responsibility for their actions. US law today protects anyone who wants to pay the government a modest fee for that protection. Much of the redistribution of wealth today includes massive payments to corporations. Google “corporate welfare” for further information.
populism: The USA was founded as a Constitutional Republic. Government is legally limited in its actions by a short, succinct document called “The Constitution of the United States of America”. Look it up. It is VERY RESTRICTIVE on the obligations and limits of the government. The founders were well versed in the various forms of government and feared democracy most of all. Populism is where the majority can take from and dictate to the minority. How else would you describe this country that all recent Presidents and Congresscritters call “A Democracy”.
collectivism: refers to any philosophy or system that sees any kind of group (such as a class, nation, race, society, state, etc) as more important than the individual. This is a law library full of uncountable and unknowable rules and restrictions that are more important than the individual.
opposition to economic and political liberalism: Political liberalism is absence of government and presence of liberty. We can’t possibly view the government that grew from 1% of our society to 50% with anything remotely resembling classical liberalism. Opposition to economic and political liberalism has rarely been stronger in history.
That is what FASCISM means. Perhaps it is okay. Maybe I should say that most of us obviously think it okay to live, but uncomfortable to admit to. Nevertheless, it is not a pejorative or lie to call our form of government by its correct name.