The Gray Monk

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August 28, 2007

So when is a State a Fascist State?

I must say that I have noticed over the last twenty or more years an increasingly derogatory approach to our national image and the Defence of the Realm among the intelligentsia. I have often wondered if it was in some way connected with the socialist "global" or "internationalist" view, and now, it seems, I may have stumbled on something that suggests that I may be right. It seems that there are fourteen "tests" of Fascist leanings applied by certain political academics and commentators when forming an opinion of any government. Unsurprisingly this includes the level of support within the government of the military, of the "national image" and such national symbols as the countries flag.

The full list includes:

1. Continuing nationalism, such as flying the national flag everywhere and taking pride in the national identity,
2. Ignoring "Human Rights" ethics,
3. Martialling the electorate by identifying "enemies" and scapegoating sections or particular groups,
4. Influence of the military - measured by how much is spent on defence against how much is spent on "social" programmes,
5. Media control, whether by "direct" control or with control in the hands of "sympathisers",
6. National security having a high profile in policy,
7. Government is overtly religiously linked to a particular faith,
8. Protection of Corporate Interests,
9.Overt sexism, measured as "masculine supremacy" and "oppression of women",
10. Trade Union activity is restricted or controlled,
11. Denigration of Intelligentsia and or/ restriction or control of higher education
12. Emphasis on Crime and Punishment, measured as how harshly the criminal is punished and how much effort goes to "reforming" the criminal,
13. Corruption and cronyism, again looking at who gets what job, is connected to who and how the appointment is made,
14. Fraudulent elections - measured by the level of smear campaigning against opposition members and parties, dirty tricks and ballot box rigging to name but a few "tricks".

An interesting list, but I find it a little puzzling. The authors of this list have looked only at the regimes they considered "Fascist" in compiling it. Their list included Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, President Suharto and a number of South American Juntas. Notable for its absence are the Communist regimes all of whom subscribe to thirteen out of the fourteen - and probably, if one looked really closely, to number 9 on the list as well. Even our Illustrious Departed Leader's bunch of closet communistas subscribe to a minimum of twelve of them. In my book, that makes them Fascists and Gordon Brown's assuming the leadership will simply exacerbate it. Even number 14 is a bit misleading since, in any "party" election, the public do not truly have a say - the party selects the candidate (cronies) and the candidate doesn't represent those who don't vote for his or her party, but his or her party. There is a difference!

Even more ironic in this is the fact that these very same intelligentsia all come from that privileged Upper Middle Class band of the population, parents of professional background, well educated and represented in the professions, they are also the people stuffing the boardrooms of the Corporate paymasters of all the parties. Take another look at Number 13 and then at our own government - all the top jobs are filled by people with connections. Outsiders haven't a prayer! And that extends through the entire Civil Service as well, it is never what you know or how good you are, though that is always trotted out as the explanation, it is always who you know and who knows you. The ticket to every Boardroom is a spell in Westminster/Whitehall - and of course, the right "social" attitude, connections and old school tie help.

It never fails to amaze me how the intelligentsia of the Left in any society always blind themselves to the failings of their own political vision. Anyone who does not subscribe to their idea of Utopia must be a Fascist just waiting to herd people into gas chambers or line them up for shooting practice. Ironically this is not a new debate at all - in fact it is very clearly echoed in the Senatorial debates of the mid 5th Century in Rome when Senators argued that letting the Barbarian Hordes into the Empire and allowing them to take over control of the military (WE don't want to sully our hands with that darling!), local colonia and of letting them establish alternate legal practices and systems while arguing it was "good for the renewal of Rome" all came to nothing on 410 to 476 when Rome simply fell apart because no one was interested in holding it together any longer. I am fascinated to see these debates being raised in the US and across Europe again, it seems we never do learn that there is a moderate path in this, one which is not unreasonable and which does ensure that our society is not destroyed and re-invented every five hundred years.

Reading the reports on the advance of Fascism in government I was amused to discover that the authors of the list I have produced here are Democrats and are accussing President Bush and the Republican Party of Fascism. I find it amusing because their own party has subscribed for generations now to draconian immigration controls - far stricter than some of the really represive states I have visited. I find it very amusing that the list could be just as easily a list of the flaws of the Left and Socialism as it is of Fascism (And frankly I see little to choose between the two - certainly having lived under one really Fascist regime and seen the damage done by Marxist/Socialists on the other!), yet the authors seemingly refuse to admit the case.

To me it proves beyond doubt that my Political Science lecturer back in the 1970's was absolutely correct. There is no Left or Right. Politics is a circle, veer to far in either direction and you find they are the same.

Posted by The Gray Monk at August 28, 2007 08:54 AM

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Comments

Posted by: Gorse Fox at August 28, 2007 08:18 PM

Posted by: Postulant at September 4, 2007 08:58 AM