MB (M) 35
San Diego, CA.

Response:  I have more fun reading the responses to this article.  Who would have thought a definition of Fascism would cause such a stir! --  One fact I recently discovered.  No country ruled as a theocracy has ever survived. It is a death sentence regardless of the faith. This is one of the reasons our founding fathers placed the separation of Church and state in the Bill of Rights. This is different than a country being founded upon the moral values of a faith and allowing these into the culture to create a common benchmark of behavior, expectations, values and character.  The secularization of society, the removing of God also results in the complete destruction of society.  This is a key reason Communism failed.  It also applies to Rome and many of the former empires, something to which you touch on above.

EM (F) 25
San Diego, CA.

Response: EM, I'm not hiding in the Library of Congress.  I cannot confirm or deny Venezuela, Cuba, South Africa, Yemen, and Zimbabwe are also fascist.  I have not done an in-depth study into their laws, culture or leadership. People often confuse dictatorships with fascism.  I'd have to spend time going into the particulars of these nations to state with conviction whether they are or are not. I believe South Africa once was but even Nelson Mandela has publicly stated that apartheid in South Africa was not as rigid or destructive as it is for those under Israeli occupation. What he witnessed in Palestine surpassed the worst he'd seen in South Africa. Since he's lived it, I tend to believe his assessment. Thanks for the homework:)

I have done an in-depth study into Israel and the United States. Israel I can confirm is fascist if you are not white Jewish, (Arab and persons of color in Israel who are Jewish are often treated as second class citizens). The Talmudism underlying Israel's rabbinic code, laws and character fully contribute to this situation.  It is also a theocracy and military based government. Fascism is how it chooses to rule. Israel is not, nor has it ever been a democracy.  You might try reading Israel's Constitution...don't spend too much time looking for it.  It doesn't, nor has it ever existed.

As for being critical and being free to speak in the US, you're missing several very big stories of censorship.   They're not throwing us in jail yet but ask Clark, Ritter, O'Neill, Zinny what happens if you go against the Bush Administration. 

If the Senate passes S.1145, which they are expected to do in October 2005, people will go to jail in the United States for voicing opinions or standing up to their faith. This bill, referred to as the Local Law Enforcement Act and Anti-Hate Crimes Bill of 2005 (this bill hides behind the "hate crimes" moniker to hide what it really is) violates the First Amendment (freedom of speech, freedom to practice one's faith: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; ); The Fourth Amendment (absence of probable cause--arrest/report based upon the police officer's determination of the complainant)  Fifth Amendment (No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime without due process of law) with this law the police officer is judge and jury.  If he/she finds you guilty, you are noted in the Federal Criminal databases as a Hate Criminal) the Sixth Amendment: (In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed).  If you are accused of a hate crime, you don't get a trial.  The police officer decides alone if you are guilty; And the Tenth Amendment, (The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.) 

Hate crimes are the dominion of the state.  This bill inserts the federal government into the state's realm and your home, permanently. This bill is spearheaded by the Anti-defamation League, an organization that says it fights racism in the US but fully funds, supports and defends it in Israel. Do as we say not as we do, this is one of those inconsistencies that points to propaganda and ulterior motives. The ADL functions, and this has been proven numerous times in court beginning in 1989 as Israel's intelligence gathering arm in the US.  It has in-depth files on tens of thousands of Americans and its purpose is to protect Israeli interests at all costs. It profits from this bill because it wrote the manual used by the FBI to define "hate crimes". These are not common sense definitions.  These are definitions which support ADL agendas and silence its critics.

Senate Bill 1145 allows via ADL definitions, training and insertion to jail Americans protesting the political movement known as Zionism, adhering to, teaching or quoting monotheistic teachings on Homosexuality and many other issues as "Hate Criminals". The truth is irrelevant. The hate crime is defined by stating what is true, challenging historical facts or following your faith. This Act outlaws truth and many key beliefs found in Christianity, Judaism and Islam in the United States. It also creates a class of super citizens who are immune from specific prosecution due to their behaviors, political affiliations or faith.

If this bill, tantamount to mind control which incorporates police state justice doesn't sound like fascism to you, what do you call it? And the above is just one example of the laws this administration has been passing pushing us toward complete fascism. I don't want to live like this, do you? --LDL
 

Then I saw the 14 points. Granted, you claim the definition comes from the Library of Congress, but you haven’t cited the work. Then you claim that the US fits this ‘profile’ of fascism. Your intellectually honesty disappears into a tirade against our current leadership and Israel. A point driven home in your responses to these reader comments. I look forward to your article on how the USA have fulfilled these 14 points. It should be entertaining reading, if not academically rigorous.

Regards, Phil Godfrin p.s. I agree with Mike – try living in a real fascist dictatorship (Cuba or Syria for example). I think you’ll change your tune about our great country in a hurry.

PG (M) 43
Flemmington, NJ

Response: The 14-points are not from the Library of Congress.  They were created by Dr. Lawrence Britt upon his study of 5 fascist based countries and I reproduced them as he wrote them. 

I agree with you that Fascism is more of a method rather than structure.  LOC has it as a structure, but I think you're right.   Eventually I'm going to tighten up this article and throw in the 14 points with links.  Based upon the response it appears I'll need to do two: One for the US and one for Israel.  Israel is actually the easier of the two. 

Secondly, you're stating one needs to live under fascism to recognize its infringements or manifestation?  No wonder countries become fascist.  Nobody knows they are until it is too late. That argument is like saying we cannot recognize child abuse unless we've been abused. It discounts prevention and education making people victims rather than responsible for their destiny.  I'm an American and I don't play victim. By not playing victim, I speak up even when it is hard to do or not popular.

The statement about Israel seems to irritate a lot of people.  I was researching Israel and kept coming up against laws, practices and policies that I thought were fascist because they reminded me of Nazi Germany. Laws preventing non-Jews from getting building permits.  Laws forcing non-Jews to attend different schools, walk different streets, forfeit their homes and lands to Jews, not work in Jewish businesses. etc, etc, etc...I decided to check my perception.  The definition confirmed it.  I classify Israel as a Fascist/Military/Theocratic/Republic, not a Fascist Dictatorship.  It is not a dictatorship, nor is the US. As far as I know, neither have been.  By the way, since it is not a dictatorship but a republic, the Israeli people can change this if they want.  But first they have to admit what they're doing.  Some do.  Most won't.

You are mistaken if you think I do not love my country.  I do.  I feel privileged to be born in America, however I am not proud of how we currently behave.  Pride is not an excuse for complacency.  What I see happening in the United States today, very slowly like a frog boiling to death one degree at a time, shows that if we keep on this course we're on, we'll kill ourselves.  I want the United States to be around as a republic, the way it was intended two hundred years from now.  If we don't address these small nicks at our freedoms now, our children will not have the country we live in.  It will be something completely different. Based upon your comments, I think we can agree on that.  Thanks for writing in. --LDL

Dear Laura,

Your article on Fascism is one of the most biased articles I have ever read about Fascism. Do you even have a clue as to what Fascism is all about? You claim that Fascism is based on 'race hatred' or using the middle-class to 'exploit' the working class 'Revolution' What crap honestly! In Fascist Italy Mussolini did not get into power for feeding of off race problems ior anti-Semitism. In fact the Fascists in Italy were not nor were they ever 'racist'. The Italian Fascist Party in fact had members from the area of Sicily in lower Italy who are characteristically 'darker skinned'. Not to mention the chief-rabbi of Rome was a member of the Fascist Party with other Jewish members. Even when war broke out and Mussolini aligned himself with Hitler, the anti-Semitic legislation enacted in Italy wasn't not enforce strictly and was only there to appease Hitler. And as far as that ridiculous remark about 'Fascism being used as a tool to thwart the working class revolution' I think it is worth mentioning that Mussolini and the Fascists had a huge support base for the working class. You see the Fascists started out as Socialists but evolved into a movement with national-characteristics and saw the folly of class-warfare to achieve a desired aim. Instead they used class-collaboration to achieve class harmony and this worked very well. You are obviously an intelligent person but a little more research into Fascism before you fill it up with blatant Marxist lies is needed. I would suggest reading A. James Gregor book Phoenix: Fascism in Our Time for unbiased research on Fascism. Good Day, Simon

SAN, (M) 23
Leigh-On-Sea, Essex, England

Comment:  What you're citing as biased is LOC's words and definition so does that mean you think the US Government is biased? (You might find me agreeing with you there on specific issues). And what is the point with bringing up WWII again?  Is this a return to victimization focus or what?

You're missing some key information on the rise, implementation and enforcement of anti-Semitism, fascism and the role of Zionism in WWII Europe.  Please visit Jews Against Zionism for the details.  You're practicing the accepted line but your facts are a bit skewed.

Fascism's been around a lot longer than the eighteenth century and French Revolution which I think is what you're referring to with the socialism turning into Fascism...or is it Russia?

To everyone else: This is a good example of why journalists don't cover or criticize Israel.  You'll notice the definition isn't the issue although he doesn't like the language, (personally I find the revolutionary early twentieth century official terminology a bit irritating as well so we agree there too) He's angry, like most of the negative remarks over the fact I dared to pinpoint Israeli policies fascist.  You'll notice not one person attempts to prove me wrong, (they can't).  They simply defame me.

And yes, Simon, I have read the book. Good day to you too.  It's quite lovely in Essex:)

--LDL