Good list. Bears repeating:
Opposition to Marxism. Modern fascists try to use socialism as a boogeyman to scare people. This is particularly true in the US.
Opposition to (parliamentary) democracy. You will see this in attempts to make it difficult for people to vote, often under the guise of "preventing voting fraud" even when they cannot produce evidence of fraud.
Opposition to political and cultural liberalism. Fascists will often claim that liberalism undermines traditional values and morality.
Totalitarian ambitions. Fascists want to control all political power and will tell you that only they can set things right.
Conservative economic programs. Historically, very few fascist movements were left or left-centrist, and when they were they were small and short-lived.
Corporatism. Historically the ultimate aim was to destroy labor movements and suppress political dissent. A favorite tool of modern-day fascists is deregulation that results in profits to businesses at the expense of consumers.
Imperialism. Nuff said.
Military values. Historically fascists favoured military values such as courage, unquestioning obedience to authority, discipline, and physical strength. They also adapted the outward trappings of military organizations, such as paramilitary uniforms and Roman salutes. We see this today in self-styled "militias."
Volksgemeinschaft. A German word referring to a racially unified and hierarchically organized group in which the interests of individuals are strictly subordinate to those of the nation. They literally tell you that they want to put you under their control, and chances are very good that you won't be invited to the ruling committee.
Leadership principle. The belief that the party and the state should have a single leader with absolute power. Beware claims along the lines of "We need a strong leader with the common sense to fix things."
The "new man." Fascists aimed to transform the ordinary man into the "new man," a "virile" being who would put decadent bourgeoisie, cerebral elites, and "feminine" liberals to shame.
Struggle against decadence. Fascists will define a group of people that are misleading you, that are stealing from you, that are destroying your future. Modern targets are educated "elites" that earn their living through well-paid white collar work rather than "honest" blue collar work that is less well paid.
Extreme nationalism. Fascist ideologues taught that national identity was the foundation of individual identity and should not be corrupted by foreign influences, especially if they were left-wing. Interestingly, modern-day fascist movements are often funded by rich foreigners with the goal to destabilize other countries that they wish to control.
Anti-urbanism. The "elites" live in cities rather than in suburban settings where everyday man lives.
Sexism and misogyny. Fascist movements tend to have strategies around controlling women's bodies, ideas that women must subjugate themselves to their husbands, and that the primary role of women is to have and care for babies.
#85 | Posted by LauraMohr
Good list. Bears repeating: