Is America Fascist?

[dust1n]

"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
--Benito Mussolini (1883-1945), Fascist Dictator of Italy

 

[Sunstone]

America has always flirted with fascism.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

If Mussolini's interpretation is true, then The USA tends to fascism.

However I do not think that is the way either Franco of Hitler saw it.
Franco saw it very much as national socialism with the emphasis on socialism.
He always saw Spain as a "Royalist state" with himself as the interim protector (dictator)
Like the USA he was an extreme anti-communist, but unlike them he believed in state intervention and socialist type support at every level.

 

[Darkness]

I am certainly no expert on Fascism, but the way I understand it is that the corporations are subject under the state. That is, corporations received lots of free reign under the state, but only those who the government shines it favour upon.

 

[Mathematician]

Hitler, Franco, and Mussolini each saw their respected variants of authoritarianism to be a halfway point between Marxist socialism and liberalism. Like capitalism, there would still be business leaders appointed from the top who oversee workers' activities, but these businesses would be competitive only so far as it was beneficial to the state. Much of the economic activity was coordinated by "technocrats" - who were basically experienced investors.

I'd say the US flirts with fascism as well.

 

[Nietzsche]

"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
--Benito Mussolini (1883-1945), Fascist Dictator of Italy

Sigh. To call the USA fascist is to effectively smack all those who suffered under the regimes of Franco, Mussolini and such in the face. Throwing this word around like so many seem to enjoy doing so just lessens its meaning. It's like calling every vaguely right-wing individual a nazi. It's intellectual revolting and just lessens the meaning of the word.

But. Do as you please.

 

[Valjean]

Fascism is not necessarily a recreation of 1930s italy. It need not be authoritarian dictatorship.
If the US government today conforms to Musolini's concept of Corporatism, AKA Fascism, well, if the shoe fits....

 

[Rainbow Mage]

US Capitalism definitely has many elements of Facism. As someone already mentioned, merger of corporations with politics. Another big one is nationalism. Facism encourages citizens to be very nationalist, and then uses that nationalism to exploit them. I believe in this country we call them patriots. Facism also uses the media and misinformation to sway the viewpoints of the citizens and turn them against people the government considers an enemy. Islam- cough cough.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

Hitler, Franco, and Mussolini each saw their respected variants of authoritarianism to be a halfway point between Marxist socialism and liberalism. Like capitalism, there would still be business leaders appointed from the top who oversee workers' activities, but these businesses would be competitive only so far as it was beneficial to the state. Much of the economic activity was coordinated by "technocrats" - who were basically experienced investors.

I'd say the US flirts with fascism as well.

You are wrong there... they were all direct opponents of both marxism and libralism.For instance there were trade unions under Franco however they were state controlled under the Falange.

From Wiki...

Although Franco and Spain under his rule adopted some trappings of fascism, he, and Spain under his rule, are not generally considered to be fascist; among the distinctions, fascism entails a revolutionary aim to transform society, where Franco and Franco's Spain did not seek to do so, and, to the contrary, although authoritarian, were conservative and traditional.[44][45][46][47][48] Stanley Payne, the preeminent conservative scholar on fascism and Spain notes: "scarcely any of the serious historians and analysts of Franco consider the generalissimo to be a core fascist".[47][49] The consistent points in Franco's long rule included above all authoritarianism, nationalism, the defense of Catholicism and the family, anti-Freemasonry, and anti-Communism.

It should also be noted that he gave sanctuary to thousands of Jews fleeing the rest of Europe.

However the Civil war and aftermath was very bloody with hundreds ofthousands (from both sides) were executed or imprisoned for their political views

I lived in Madrid during his rule, and no worker with a communist past could be given a job that put them in charge of other people, or a position of influence.

He was more feared than loved, but many did both.

 

[Valjean]

US Capitalism definitely has many elements of Facism. As someone already mentioned, merger of corporations with politics. Another big one is nationalism. Facism encourages citizens to be very nationalist, and then uses that nationalism to exploit them. I believe in this country we call them patriots. Facism also uses the media and misinformation to sway the viewpoints of the citizens and turn them against people the government considers an enemy. Islam- cough cough.

Also encourages exceptionalism and self-absorbtion. Alternative healthcare modalities, cough cough.

 

[Adramelek]

If there is ever an American dictator he won't be wearing a uniform like Hitler or Mussolini did, he'll be wearing a suite and tie.

 

[Valjean]

...and be backed up by the religious and political right wing.

 

[Darkness]

...and be backed up by the religious and political right wing.

Or turn left-wing politics into something ugly, promising utopia and then ruling with an iron fist à la the tactics of Joseph Stalin (Иосиф Стали&#1085.

 

[Falvlun]

If there is ever an American dictator he won't be wearing a uniform like Hitler or Mussolini did, he'll be wearing a suite and tie.

*falv snickers at image of dictator walking around with elegantly appointed rooms hanging around his neck*

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

If there is ever an American dictator he won't be wearing a uniform like Hitler or Mussolini did, he'll be wearing a suite and tie.

During the thirties there was a very strong Nazi following in the USA and they did wear uniforms. Modern historians seem to ave " forgotten" how strong they were, pretending they were only a minor fringe.

 

[Sunstone]

Great example of fascism growing in the US.

 

[Valjean]

During the thirties there was a very strong Nazi following in the USA and they did wear uniforms. Modern historians seem to ave " forgotten" how strong they were, pretending they were only a minor fringe.

Nazi Brown Shirts, Fascist Black shirts, &c originally wore street clothes. I wonder what uniform today's "tea party' members will eventually choose?
I'm betting Camo.

 

[Random]

Yes, and there are thousands of corporate Lobbyists on Capitol Hill who want it to stay that way, and 'grow' that way; world empire is not enough. Odd though that as the nation embraces fascism from the top down, from the bottom up the movement is against the subversion of the Constitution by merged Corporate-State power which is classifed not as fascist but rather "liberal" and "Communist"; two things directly opposed in the norm to fascism. Grass-roots America is confused, it seems; a situation I'm sure the corporate rulers will enjoy seeing continues into the future, for only a clear and visionary leader can be an effectual threat to the new order there.

 

[Falvlun]

Nazi Brown Shirts, Fascist Black shirts, &c originally wore street clothes. I wonder what uniform today's "tea party' members will eventually choose?
I'm betting Camo.

Nah. Definitely this:

Tricorn hats will be the new must-have.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I suspect anyone who thinks that the US is a fascist state, probably doesn't have much experience living in fascist states.