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It has been suggested that this article be merged into Neo-Fascism. (Discuss)

Introduction

The presence or absence of fascism in the United States 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 state and corporate power, usually with an emphasis on militarism and extreme nationalism. In the years following the rise of fascist governments in such countries as Germany and Italy, 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 World War II, thus significantly expanding its military and diplomatic profile, and emerging as a global superpower in opposition to the Soviet Union. Detractors of the new United States role as global opponent of Communism 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 Hitler or Mussolini."

George Orwell 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

Fascism in America first came to prominent attention with the publication of the cautionary novel It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis in 1935.

In 1933, retired General Smedley Butler testified to the McCormack-Dickstein Committee that he had been approached by a group of wealthy business interests, led by the Du Pont and J. P. Morgan industrial empires, to orchestrate a fascist coup against Roosevelt. The alleged coup attempt has come to be known as the Business Plot.

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.

George W Bush administration

In the United States the Republican Party has come to power, and seeks to create national unity through the repression of national enemies (terrorists and the states that harbor them) and the incorporation of all classes and both genders into a permanently mobilized nation (see War on Terror).

Richard Rahn, a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute and adjunct scholar of the Cato Institute 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."]

Noam Chomsky 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.].

David Neiwert 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 September 11th, 2001, conditions in the United States were ideal for such a project, and significant reforms of the American goverment have followed, including the PATRIOT Act, the complete reversal of progress on a balanced budget, 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 Patriot act 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 Combatant Status Review Tribunal to bypass the normal rule of law. The alleged use of administration approved torture. Claims by the administration that it needs more and more of these powers. These may indicate a movement towards a police state.

• Domestic surveillance of US citizens without the authority of FISA, 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 Patriot act), 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 open forums 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 Armstrong Williams incident)(The Balkans Website incident)

• The widespread use of religion 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 rhetoric and symbolism 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 Mr. Clint Curtis, and other widespread indications of deceptive election processes in Ohio and other locations, in addition to the conflicts of interest with Secretary of State of Ohio Kenneth Blackwell 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 George W. Bush won a majority of the popular and electoral votes in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.

The GOP has combined corporatism, nationalism, and anti-Terrorism (nee anti-Communism) in a state designed to bind all classes together under a capitalist system. Although this system was instituted under ideal political circumstances, those circumstances are no longer in place, and popular support for the Bush Administration appears to be waning (CBS News, 2005). The controversial 2004 election was a victory for the GOP, though even the GAO was able to substantiate evidence of vote fraud and illegal activity. The GOP has come to power in the most wealthy Republic on the planet.

Defense of Republican Party

Based on the definition of Fascism 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.

Other Fascist Parties

A partial list can be found at List of fascist movements by country.

References

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3. "The Economic System of Corporatism". Applet-magic.com. November 17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
4. "Poll: Bush ratings hit new low". CBSNews.com. October 6. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= and |year= / |date= mismatch (help)

Additional Links of Interest

1. Fascism and the rhetoric of unification
2. Fascists in Christian Clothing
3. Bill Crews "I was a Republican from before the fascists took over."

External links

1. "A Kind of Fascism Is Replacing Our Democracy" from Newsday July 18, 2003 by Sheldon S. Wolin, professor of political science at Princeton University.