The Seven Pillars of Fascism

 The Seven Pillars of Fascism* (and how we are following that path).

I keep adjusting my own definition, but not views, on fascism. Definitions aren’t really that important as people interpret them, accept or reject them, according to their own interests and beliefs. It is one thing to define a tangible thing – although hard enough. It is another to define an idea or ideology. It does really matter much, nor one whit or iota if someone essentially evil is called a Marxist or Communist, an authoritarian or totalitarian. You are just emphasizing an an ideological aspect of it. Fascism seeks to subject everyone to its ideology and can be any and all of those things. The bottom line is that fascist fits the image created by George Orwell in  1984: 

“If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face— forever.”

As with the famous Potter Stewart quote about pornography/obscenity (really, one of his law clerks, Alan Novak, came up with it) - although I can’t define fascism, I know it when I see it. But, the below list contains what are right now what I believe are the main tenets or factors, not in any particular order. I am neither claiming it is all there is to it nor that all of the factors necessarily appear all of the time:

1.     The fascist uses force or intimidation to coerce people to accept their political will.

2.     The fascist claim that they are victims and that their opponents are oppressors.

3.     The fascist creates a false scapegoat.

4.     The fascist seeks to divide and often uses race, ethnicity and/or religion to do it.

5.     The fascist gains control of critical social institutions, like the media, the police and the education system.

6.     The fascist is dishonest, and often uses fake crises or exaggerates them in order to more easily take or maintain power.

7.     The fascist takes complete control of the law and all facets of society within his or her reach – not just the reins of government.

I hope to describe here and in the next few weeks or months (whenever I can, really – but it won’t be every post) all of these tenets or factors as applies to the U.S.A. now. No doubt more examples will appear as I go through the list after I have posted them because they are coming so fast and furiously. This is a topic that in years past I would have written one long-ass post on, but these days, between work, other interests, family matters, and let’s face it, reader patience, I try to break it up. Perhaps I will use post scripts on those already posted, perhaps not. I’m not always consistent, and, as this is not a professional blog, but my amateur ravings (doesn’t mean they aren’t true), I have to say I hope I finish the project.

What is more important is what we are doing now in this country. I make no bones about it. Though not a Republican or member of any party, and not a conservative who reflexively resists change (sometimes good and sometimes not), I of course know that Republicans are as capable of fascism as the Democrats. But, for quite a few years now, the Democrats have almost decisively and sometimes brutally cornered the American market on fascism.

Because WWII history is so well known, Hitler is the perfect example of a fascist. Technically, he would have said that he was a National Socialist or Nazi, and that Mussolini was a fascist. While technically true then, nowadays, the words for party names have become associated with the description of character. So, I use Hitler and the Nazis in a lot of examples here. But, it is critical to remember, it happens different every time, but the end results are the same, as the total domination of every aspect of society by cruel leaders who crush dissent.

THE FASCIST USES OF FORCE OR INTIMIDATION TO COERCE PEOPLE TO ACCEPT ANOTHER’S POLITICAL WILL.

I need not describe by example here how the WWII era Nazis and Fascists used force and intimidation to get their way, and I wouldn’t be using the phrases Nazi or fascist if it weren’t. It is too well known and would take books to cover it anyway. Suffice to say that their behavior, more so the Nazis, is the leading example of fascism in history, though, of course, brutal dictatorships have existed since time immemorial. However, though I am not claiming we are dealing with the Nazis yet or the Soviet Union, we are heading in that direction. Even the Nazis, if you study the pre-war error, weren’t using crematoriums as fast as they could manage immediately. It took a few years to consolidate power. We are in the opening stages now, but with a bullet.

Some of you might not even be aware of many of these things as the media, particularly if you watch CNN, MSNBC, the Networks (etc.), or read the New York Times, The Washington Post (etc.), simply won’t cover news stories that don’t favor the Democrats or left wing politics or they minimize them or so slant the story that it seems like they favor them. I know because for years I sporadically check when something horrible happens that one would naturally blame the left for and what are derisively referred to as the “mainstream media” just guards the left-wing narrative.

But, violence and intimidation:

Hundreds, if not thousands of riots and definitively 1000s, if not tens of thousands of acts of violence in supposed “BLM” or “George Floyd” protests after George Floyd died. The worst aspect of it was the drive to defund the police which has resulted in America’s homicide rate going up 30% in 2020 according to the FBI. Let me say that bigger:

THIRTY PERCENT!

Thank you BLM (not). If that doesn’t mean much to you, then consider that it is unprecedented. Even in 2001 – the year that includes almost 3000 murders on 9/11, it only went up 20% from the year before and then immediately began dramatically dropping in the following years as it generally did in the decade before. The rate generally ranged from 4.4%-5.8% from 2020 on before spiking enormously last year. Go ahead, blame the pandemic when people are staying home, but the truth is, it started after the Floyd death was publicized and the calls for defunding started. And, not to stray too far into another topic – protests over what? The lie that police are targeting unarmed blacks. More whites are killed every year by police and many more police officers of any skin color are killed by others of any color. By far, the greatest danger to blacks is a weak police force. The numbers of unarmed blacks who are not resisting arrest, including brandishing weapons, actually approaches zero rather than the 1000s people who are polled sometimes believe. Of course if you did not figure out that BLM was all a lie when one of its founders was discovered to have moved to a mostly all-white neighborhood in Hollywood (among her other properties) and abandoned the BLM project when she was rich enough (from looting funds meant as charity for BLM? I don’t know, but I wonder) then there is no hope you will believe any of this. As I have pointed out many times on this blog, BLMs anti-police rhetoric has resulted in the deaths of minorities, including blacks, at a faster rate than the KKK could even dream about. Not long ago the NY Post cover showed 18 youngsters, ages 5-18, who had been murdered just in NYC, where long ago Mayor De Blasio decided that crime doesn’t matter. Chicago alone is a national shame as is Portland, Oregon. As we see all over the country, left wing leadership is an urban disaster.

Antifa rioting and violence. Perhaps never has a group gotten away with using a name that was such a lie as Antifa, as they are probably the embodiment of fascism in America. Wearing black combat gear, this gang has beaten, robbed, murdered and tried – only so far unsuccessfully, to murder cops in their precinct houses. Yet, they are virtually untouched. The media ignores their violence, calls to account those who fight with them but don’t themselves attack the public or commit crimes except perhaps in attacking fascists (e.g., The Proud Boys).

Worse, our fascist government has pretty much declared hands off Antifa. Merrick Garland, who now heads the Department of Justice (I say the last word laughingly – I have no faith in it anymore at all) said in his confirmation hearing that he couldn’t tell if Antifa was a terrorist outfit in light of photographs of them trying to burn their way into a Federal Courthouse site, because it was nighttime (do terrorists only work in the day? What about 9/11?) despite all their acts and threats. I actually felt sorry for that guy when the Republicans wouldn’t give him a hearing to get on the Supreme Court. As far as I’m considered, thank goodness they did, or we’d have an Antifa apologist on the court. Now, I’m sure he is busy having the FBI investigating parents upset that their daughter was raped or who oppose CRT.

To get a better, 10x more realistic report, try Andy Ngo’s Unmasked. An intrepid journalist who has had at least once flee the country because Antifa was trying to murder him and has already been assaulted by them. If you don’t believe him it’s because why? – CNN and the NY Times won’t report on them. Democratic politicians and the media seem to want to protect this fascist group.

Democrat politicians support or pretend Antifa doesn’t exist or are harmless. Watch Sen. Hirono, one of the most fascist members of congress, literally abruptly leave a congressional hearing rather than accept Sen. Cruz’s (who I used to have little respect for, but now cherish as one of the most effective defenders of our country in the two houses) challenge to call out Antifa as a violent organization by name. Dem Sen. Hirono Walks Out Of Hearing After Cruz Challenges Her To Denounce Antifa, She Doesn't | Video | RealClearPolitics. Previously, in an interview, in the midst of the violence, she said she understood why they were being violent – it’s because, she said, of white supremacy. “Well, this is what happens. They — because when you look at white supremacists and all of that, this is what is coming forth in our country. There is a tremendous divisiveness in our country. But this is the kind of activism that occurs. And people make their own decisions. If they violate the law, then they have to account for that.”

Jerrold Nadler, a fascist congressman from my own state who did everything he could to unseat a president calls Antifa violence a myth. Rep. Jerry Nadler says Antifa violence in Portland a 'myth' (congress.gov). That’s funny, because even Portland’s idiot mayor, another Democrat who barely won against someone who ran as “The Antifa Candidate,” Ted Wheeler, has now, after denouncing the federal government for its protection of federal property, and literally blaming Trump for civil unrest, now begs for assistance against Antifa. At least he’s there now. Does Nadler really enjoy Portland burning and suffering for over a year or is he just stupid? I don’t know. But, I don’t understand how wonderful people I know can defend this party and vote for them in the face of this. I know – But Truuuuuumpppp!

Maxine Waters, a very sick woman in my view, probably was successful in frightening the jury at the end of the Chauvin trial by calling on the rioters around Minneapolis to once again repeat, but even more so, it’s violence that included 150 arsons, 2 deaths (seems to me to for Democrats, only George Floyd’s death matters, at least not ones that don’t follow their narrative), and massive mayhem for days. Here’s what she said to reporters – “Well, we’ve got to stay on the street. And we’ve got to get more active. We’ve got to get more confrontational. We’ve got to make sure that they know that we mean business.” More confrontational? Mean business? All that arsons, deaths and destructions to the city didn’t mean business, wasn’t confrontational enough? The jurors knew exactly what she meant and there could be no fair trial (whether or not Chauvin is guilty). Not that I think Chauvin is completely innocent – the videos showed at least manslaughter or negligent homicide in my view, but I hope the top court has the courage to overturn the verdict and give a new trial (and Derek, you really need a new lawyer who will fight for you). Because if people completely lose faith in the law, worse things will happen.

You really think Waters didn’t mean violence? Well, she also said on another occasion when Republican leaders were getting assaulted by violent Democrats and socialists – ““Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up. And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd. And you push back on them. And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” That discussion was over immigration. Funny, she doesn’t seem concerned about the children when the Democratic president has created a disaster on the southern border and bodies are being found all over Latin America.

Violence aimed at shutting down speech. Several years ago Antifa and the like began the modern era of shutting down speakers when they attacked in rather large numbers the building where a conservative speaker, Milo Yiannopoulos. Milo is a jerk in my view, but that has nothing to do with shutting him down. Soon after it was Ann Coulter. The author of The Bell Curve, Charles Murray, was attacked at a Vermont college, and the liberal professor who asked him to speak was injured by the insane students who sought to silence him with violence (by the way, If you haven’t read The Bell Curve, and believe the lies that it is racist, you seriously have no idea what you are talking about).

This goes on and on and on. The group that goes by the acronym Fire (thefire.org-Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) is an organization dedicated to protect speech rights on college campuses. Take a look at their list of speakers who have been shut down. In the last few years, really since 2014, it is almost always speakers on the right who the left seeks to silence, not vice versa. I don’t know if the organization has a political bent, but, though The Fire is officially non-partisan, some of the attempts to silence which they assess as being from the right, clearly aren’t when you look at the details they provide. E.g., the people seeking to block Ben Carson, a staunch conservative, in 2014 were not from the right). 

These attempts are sometimes just pressure, but too often violent. Moreover, it seems that in some jurisdictions, if you are on the right, you don’t get police protection. The constitution, says our Supreme Court, requires the government to protect the speaker – but too often these days the opposite seems true.

Using the police power to frighten Trump supporters and others

Left wing states and even the federal government have committed themselves to attacking Trump and his supporters. Leave aside the two jokes of impeachment proceedings against him, NY threatened to prosecute him for years and finally got his tax returns to desperately find a crime. They couldn’t find anything and finally gave up. So, they did the next best thing in their corrupt minds and arrested.

We’ve seen only recently, that a federal judge held prison officials in contempt for their treatment of prisoners arrested for the January 6, 2021 fiasco. Glad to hear it, but a little late. The federal government acted as if it was the only riot in the history of America, spent huge resources to round up trespassers, made believe an officer of the law, Brian Sicknick, who died soon after, apparently of a stroke unrelated to the riot, was murdered by Trump supporters. They even gave him a state funeral before his own family protested the lie. The fact is that no one was killed that day by Trump supporters (and I don’t know if Sicknick was one or not). Ashli Babbitt, a Trump supporter, on the other hand, was murdered in cold blood, shot dead while she was empty handed surrounded by heavily armed cops. Nothing will happen to her killer, an officer, I believe because he’s black and she’s a white Trump supporter. A few other Trump supporters died that day. I don’t know why? But, they didn’t kill anyone.

The Biden administration’s reaction to 1/6 is so great an over-reaction, it doesn’t take much to recognize it as political. There is a kangaroo court variety of commission – hardly bi-partisan – Pelosi only let on it Republicans who hate Trump, like Liz Cheney. Even Sens. Elizabeth Warren (who I consider a very phony and terrible person who would do our country great harm if she ever got into power) and Bernie Sanders (who I kind of like personally, but think his policy choices are horrible for America) protested over the treatment of the 1/6 prisoners. If people like them are protesting the treatment of Trump supporters – how bad is it?

Meanwhile, we know that the FBI was aware of the phony claims against the Trump campaign and Russia, but still they acted on it. We know that the 2 year Mueller investigation – run by his staff entirely, made up of Democrat lawyers, some who actively supported Clinton – could find nothing wrong done and that at his hearing, Mueller himself seemed somewhat clueless as to what was in the report. We know that they set up General Flynn though they suspected him of no crime (the crime of lying to a federal agent while not under oath should be repealed). We know they went after Carter Page based on falsely sworn documents. We know that after Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort was convicted by the federal government (indeed, the same day), New York tried to make him a political prisoner and filed charges against him so that he couldn’t be pardoned. Eventually, the case was dismissed and he was pardoned by Trump (it is typical of presidents to do this for those who helped them – I’m not justifying it, but putting it in perspective). Basically, the case was dismissed because New York was trying to prosecute him on the same facts as the federal government convicted him and violated the State’s own double jeopardy law. The D.A. went up to New York’s high court to overturn the decision. New York also looked to prosecute Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen (who seems to me a corrupt human being) after the Federal government was finished with him, but either couldn’t find even a colorable claim or decided not to bother because he turned on Trump.

And don’t even start me on the Kavanaugh hearings or Sen. Schumer’s Goebbels like speech threatening members of the court. Really, that all okay with you?

Another example of the disgusting behavior of fascist governments using their power to intimidate people who won’t obey them, even if they have committed no crime, is the actions taken against people who do not want to obey the vaccine mandate. This is happening all over the country. I happen to be pro-vaxx, but I am very much against forcing people who don’t want to get vaccinated, or don’t want their children to get vaccinated to do so. I think it would be better for our country if more people got vaccinated, but no one should have to do it. I’ve written before about the Jacobsen v. Massachusetts case, which in 1905, upheld a state (not federal) law requiring vaccinations. But, in short, that case holding comes from the same court that thought separate but equal was okay. It was before the first amendment and other rights from the Bill of Rights were applied to the states and before privacy rights were found in the constitution – including Roe v. Wade. I don’t know if one of these cases will make it to the court, but it might. I do not think a challenge to these laws will be successful, but I do think it’s a new day and Jacobsen should not be relied on without review under the entirely different constitutional paradigm which now exists.

The most common result of violation of the mandates seems to be to lose your job – at least right now. This is not nothing. It’s incredibly important. Imagine if you were fired and had to support a family. I assure you everyone who is getting fired can’t afford it. Certainly the states and municipalities do not care about the individuals whose lives are destroyed, but you’d think they would care about the impact on society. The airlines are a mess, the supply chains are a mess, people are literally quitting their jobs in droves – but the official word seems to be, they don’t care.

I know, some of you are thinking what does this have to do with fascism? Well, as I have said, it happens different every time and gets progressively worse. But, throwing people out of jobs or driving them out is not new. Before the Nazis were gassing Jews, they made it almost impossible for them to work. Now, we have the military about ready to begin (if they haven’t begun) handing out dishonorable discharges for those who don’t want to be vaccinated, we have civilians being told if they are fired for refusal to vaccinate they won’t get benefits. Police forces, such as in Seattle, which can’t afford to lose another officer, are about to fire many, and much more. This is not just a slippery slope. It’s beyond - it’s just government doing what it always does.

Even Biden’s speech on the vaccine – where again he asked for unity after insulting and threatening a large portion of the country – gave people opposed to the vaccination ample reason to fear:

“Many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are still not vaccinatd.”

“We cannot allow these actions to stand in the way of protecting the large majority of Americans who have done their part and want to get back to life as normal.”

“This is not about freedom or personal choice.

“So, tonight, I’m announcing that the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule to require all employers with 100 or more employees, that together employ over 80 million workers, to ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week.” (This means or else they will fire you).

And my personal least favorite – “We’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin.  And your refusal has cost all of us.”

If these statements aren’t meant to intimidate and stigmatize people, I don’t know what is. Even to say it is safe, as he did, is not exactly true. It’s mostly safe, in my belief, but it cannot be doubted that some people do die as a result of it or are seriously injured – even if relatively few. I don’t recall that happening with the flu virus I get every year. Or the vaccine children get to go to school. But those aren’t new vaccines or new diseases that we know so little about.

I am vaccinated. But, if like some friends of mine who do not want it (some had Covid-19 and are better off antibody-wise than the vaccinated), I wasn’t, I’d sure feel threatened. I admit also, I would rethink all of this if I felt the virus was an existential threat to the country. Not even close.

Some cases are worse – one unvaccinated women was told that they would not do a kidney transplant on her because she would not vaccinate. In another case, someone couldn’t get a new kidney because the donor wouldn’t get vaccinated. All they need to do is check these people to see if they have it or not. There is no need for this life threatening bullying. But, that’s what fascism does to people. Empowers them to be brutal and demand others cave.

I’m going to end my examples here. I know those of you who live in good neighborhoods or feel insulated from the violence of BLM and Antifa, you don’t live in under-policed areas where you and your children or grandchildren’s life is in danger like people in Chicago, Portland or NYC. You aren’t a public speaker and maybe you don’t like conservatives, so you don’t care if they can’t speak or if their political leaders are attacked in public. You feel safe and can even close your eyes to these things. Go ahead and good for you. It doesn’t affect me very much either personally, but I can’t close my eyes to it. I just can’t. Perhaps it comes from decades of reading about pre-WWII Germany and the rise of the Soviet Union. For years people would say, don't worry, Hitler wouldn't let this or that happen. But, he did.

Good luck out there.

*Yes, if you are wondering, the title to this post is derived from a book by Lawrence of Arabia.

Post  Script 10/15/21 I saw this one yesterday. A judge in Calgary (yes, I know that's in Canada) order - ORDERED - three pastors to include the majority view on Covid-19 when preaching. Now, I know they don't have a first amendment in Canada - I know they control speech (which, sorry, fascist - and that's why we have a first amendment). But, even for Canada, what the hell?

There's a petition on change.org, "Petition · Fire UCLA Professor Gordon Klein · Change.org. This petition is to have fired the now suspended Professor Gordon Klein, for writing back to a student who asked for special favors due to the George Floyd killing. Prof. Klein did not mince words. He was polite, but it was obvious he was outraged at a request to grade based on skin color, which I would think would be a violation of anti-discrimination laws. I would be outraged too:

"Thanks for your suggestion in your email below that I give black students special treatment, given the tragedy in Minnesota. Do you know the names of the classmates that are black? How can I identify them since we've been having online classes only? Are there any students that may be of mixed parentage, such as half black-half Asian? What do you suggest I do with respect to them? A full concession or just half? Also, do you have any idea if any students are from Minneapolis? I assume that they probably are especially devastated as well. I am thinking that a white student from there might be possibly even more devastated by this, especially because some might think that they're racist even if they are not. My TA is from Minneapolis, so if you don't know, I can probably ask her. Can you guide me on how you think I should achieve a "no-harm" outcome since our sole course grade is from a final exam only? One last thing strikes me: Remember that MLK famously said that people should not be evaluated based on the "color of their skin." Do you think that your request would run afoul of MLK's admonition? Thanks, G. Klein"

Klein was suspended from teaching and currently has a lawsuit pending against UCLA, who sure look like racists to me. This country used to hate racists. Now the institutions that used to be against it are among the biggest promoters of it. 

Here's an irony for you - the student apologized to Klein and signed up for another class. Didn't matter. the emails were leaked and went viral.

Postscript 10/18/21 So, you still think we don't live in a fascist country? A NYC family court judge just cut off visitation for an unvaccinated father. If you agree with that, I don't know what to say. You won't mind then, I guess, when they tell you your beliefs aren't up to snuff and take away what's most important to you. I doubt that. This is the same type of insanity where Socrates chose to die rather than disobey the government. There isn't even a mandate which requires that he be vaccinated - not that it would surprise me in the future. This judge can't just take away a father's right to make his own health choices at risk of losing another right - seeing his child. It's sick. It's vicious. I hope its overturned immediately.