Fascism (United States): Difference between revisions

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	==Introduction==
	The presence or absence of ] in the ] has been a matter of long-standing (and, invariably, heated) discussion since at least the nineteen-forties.

	In the classic sense, fascism is generally understood as a system of government based on the union of ] and ] power, usually with an emphasis on ] and extreme ]. In the years following the rise of fascist governments in such countries as ] and ], two fateful events informed the ongoing debate concerning fascism in America. First, the United States took on a global leadership role following the defeat of fascist powers in ], thus significantly expanding its military and diplomatic profile, and emerging as a global ] in opposition to the ]. Detractors of the new United States role as global opponent of ] frequently, if not always accurately, characterized behavior of the American govenment as fascist. Second, and more or less simultaneously, the popular, as opposed to academic, use of the term "fascist" began less and less to refer to specific characteristics of governments, and more and more to mean something along the lines of "a political philosophy that reminds the speaker, in some usually unspecified way, of the policies of ] or ]."

	] once remarked facetiously that "fascism" no longer seemed to mean much of anything, other than "objectionable," but academics continue to insist on a political-science application of the term. Whether such a definition actually matches up with the political history, culture, and practices of the United States of America remains a proposition vigorously sustained -- and vigorously opposed -- in contemporary global discourse.

	==Origins of Fascism in the United States==

	{{POV-section}}

	] in America first came to prominent attention with the publication of the cautionary novel ] by ] in 1935.

	In ], retired General ] testified to the ] that he had been approached by a group of wealthy business interests, led by the ] and ] industrial empires, to orchestrate a fascist coup against Roosevelt. The alleged coup attempt has come to be known as the ].

	Over the course of the subsequent seventy years, observers from a number of different perspectives have noted developments that can be seen to be indicative of a trend toward fascism in the United States.

	==] administration==

	{{POV-section}}
	There are those who argue that the current administration is fascist or has fascist tendencies:

	:Richard Rahn, a senior fellow of the ] and adjunct scholar of the ] states:
	"Despite the election of a 'compassionate conservative' as president, federal spending is again growing faster than national income, even excluding the new military spending, in large part due to a bipartisan effort to enlarge government. The laudable effort made in the late 1990s to get rid of most farm subsidies is now in the process of being thrown out. Free trade is under attack and protectionism is again emerging, and the recent 'campaign finance reform' legislation is a direct attack on free speech. The new fascism is not just a danger for Europeans; it is a present danger for us."]

	:] has warned that people in the U.S. need to remain vigilant to keep America from drifting towards fascism.]. Some link growing corporate power to fascism.].

	:] warns:

	::what is so deeply disturbing about the current state of the conservative movement is that it has otherwise plainly adopted not only many of the cosmetic traits of fascism, its larger architecture -- derived from its core impulses -- now almost exactly replicates that by which fascists came to power in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and '30s. ]

	Following the events of ], conditions in the United States were ideal for such a project, and significant reforms of the American goverment have followed, including the ], the complete reversal of progress on a ], massive military expenditures. These reforms constitute a significant increase in the United States' debt, militarization, belligerence and isolationist nationalism.

	Some writers claim that the United States now meets some or all requirements for a Fascist state. Cases have been made both for and against this allegation on all sides of the political spectrum.

	Cases made to support the contention that the US is currently Fascist or moving towards fascism include:

	*Use of "administrative warrants" and other tools such as those in the ] which allow the administration to exercise police powers without judicial oversight. The designation of "enemy combatants" by the administration and the use of military courts like the ] to bypass the normal rule of law. The alleged use of administration approved ]. Claims by the administration that it needs more and more of these powers. These may indicate a movement towards a ].

	*Domestic surveillance of US citizens without the authority of ], in violation of the rule of law and the constitution.

	*Decreasing openness in government: significant increases in the amount of information deemed classified, the introduction of "unclassified but sensitive" information, "sneak and peek" searches and gag orders on search targets (allowed by the ]), etc.

	*Reports such as the Bush Administration paying journalists to promote the policies of the Administration. This would lend credence to the allegation that Media is being controlled by the Administration. Also, self-censorship such as the sort practiced in to prevent the spread of viewpoints that oppose the current administration may be considered evidence that the administration need not openly censor, but can rely on supporters to carry out the necessary censorship. ()()

	*The widespread as a justification for many laws and policies (such as Faith Based Initiatives) and the blocking of certain legislation on religious grounds (such as gay marriage and stem cell research). Also the widespread use of religious in many speeches and appearances lend credibility to the allegation of religion being intertwined with Government.

	*Fraudulent Elections have been suspected in both of the last presidential elections. There is evidence such as the sworn testimony of , and other widespread indications of deceptive election processes in <!-- broken-->] and other locations, in addition to the conflicts of interest with Secretary of State of Ohio ] also being the co-chair of the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign in Ohio.

	To counter the claim that the United States is becoming fascist, opponents point to the fact that ] won a majority of the popular and electoral votes in the ].

	==Defense of Republican Party==

	{{POV-section}}

	Based on the definition of ] from Misplaced Pages

	1. Exalting the nation above the individual: There are elements of the Republican Party that still emphasize individual responsibility, and distrust the state.

	2. Stressing loyalty to a single leader: There are elements of the Republican Party that dissent from the views of Bush.

	3. Using violence and modern techniques of propaganda and censorship to forcibly suppress political opposition: There is some question as to the extent that violence has been employed to suppress political opposition.

	4. Engaging in severe economic and social regimentation: There are elements of the Republican party that do not favor further regimentation.

	5. Engaging in syndicalist corporatism: The consolidation of industries alone is not sufficient to support charges of corporate syndicalism.

	6. Implementing totalitarian systems: The systems referred to are not totalitarian, as the government is acting in the best interests of the populace, and was elected legally.

	==Fascist Parties==

	A partial list can be found at ].

	==References==

	#{{Book reference \| Author=AHD Editorial Board \| Title=American Heritage Dictionary \| Publisher=Houghton Mifflin \| Year=1983}}
	#{{Book reference \| First=Hannah \| Last=Arendt \| Year=1973 \| Title=The Origins of Totalitarianism \| Publisher=Harvest Books \| ID=ISBN 0156701537 \| Authorlink=Hannah Arendt }}
	#{{Web reference \| title=The Economic System of Corporatism \| work=Applet-magic.com \| url=http://www2.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/corporatism.htm \| date=November 17 \| year=2005}}
	#{{Web reference \| title=Poll: Bush ratings hit new low \| work=CBSNews.com \| url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/10/06/opinion/polls/main924485.shtml \| date=October 6 \| year=2005}}

	==Additional Links of Interest==

	#]
	#]
	#] "I was a Republican from before the fascists took over."

	== External links ==

	# from ''Newsday'' July 18, 2003 by Sheldon S. Wolin, professor of political science at Princeton University.

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