[Ibby]

Originally Posted by DamienHTF

Dr. Britt did an extensive study of fascist regimes. Among the study subjects were Germany (Hitler), Italy (Mussolini), Spain (Franco), Greece (Papadopolous), Chile (Pinochet), and Indonesia (Suharto). He found that the governments of each regime all exhibited fourteen common characteristics. The scary part is that the U.S. under Bush's presidency ALSO exhibits all fourteen. Therefore, beginning on the day of Bush's second inauguration, I've decided to create a series of artwork exploring each of the fourteen characteristics and displaying the ways America fits into each.

Originally Posted by DamienHTF

Characteristic 1 - POWERFUL AND CONTINUING EXPRESSIONS OF NATIONAL PRIDE
"From the prominent displays of flags and bunting to the ubiquitous lapel pins, the fervor to show patriotic nationalism, both on the part of the regime itself and of citizens caught up in its frenzy, was always obvious. Catchy slogans, pride in the military, and demands for unity were common themes in expressing this nationalism. It was usually coupled with a suspicion of things foreign that often bordered on xenophobia." Gee... lots of flag-waving? Where have I seen THAT before...?

Originally Posted by DamienHTF

Characteristic 2 - DISDAIN FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS
"The regimes themselves viewed human rights as of little value and a hindrance to realizing the objectives of the ruling elite. Through clever use of propaganda, the population was brought to accept these human rights abuses by marginalizing, even demonizing, those being targeted. When abuse was egregious, the tactic was to use secrecy, denial, and disinformation."

We all know the Holocaust was a human rights nightmare. Americans usually have that drilled into them by the time they graduate from high school. What most Americans DON'T know, however, is that we are currently creating a nightmare of our own. Torture is becoming more and more widely accepted as a valid interrogation technique at prisons for war criminals and terrorists. There have been reports of various versions: sensory deprivation (the prisoner is blindfolded and fitted with ear and nose plugs and left completely with no senses for extreme periods of time), sleep deprivation, loud music, and of course, complete degradation (as was the case at Abu Gharib). As a matter of fact, the reason Guantanamo Bay is such an ideal location for a prisoner camp is because it is not on U.S. soil, so technically the prisoners aren't granted rights such as due process as guaranteed by our Constitution. Usually, they are sealed off from everything-- they don't get a phone call, they can't see a lawyer, and they can't even talk to their families. What's worse is that many of the prisoners in Cuba AREN'T terrorists at all-- Amnesty International maintains that they are guilty of nothing more than petty visa infractions. Yet, the Bush administration continues to encourage this rampant violation of human rights (even appointing Alberto Gonzales, who has authorized the use of torture in these camps and denounced Geneva Convention laws as "obsolete", as Attorney General). NOW can you see the Hitler comparison a little bit clearer?

Originally Posted by DamienHTF

Characteristic 3 - IDENTIFICATION OF ENEMIES/SCAPEGOATS AS A UNIFYING CAUSE
"The most significant common thread among these regimes was the use of scapegoating as a means to divert the people’s attention from other problems, to shift blame for failures, and to channel frustration in controlled directions. The methods of choice—relentless propaganda and disinformation—were usually effective. Often the regimes would incite 'spontaneous' acts against the target scapegoats, usually communists, socialists, liberals, Jews, ethnic and racial minorities, traditional national enemies, members of other religions, secularists, homosexuals, and 'terrorists.' Active opponents of these regimes were inevitably labeled as terrorists and dealt with accordingly."

Hitler targeted many groups of people as enemies of his state, including communists, gypsies, blacks, and of course, most notably the Jews. In November of 1938, following the assassination of a prominent Nazi official, the German government coordinated a pogrom (a massive attack aimed at complete annihilation of a people and their environment) on several Jewish ghettoes. The event, known as Kristallnact (or "Night of Broken Glass", after all the smashed storefronts), was one of the first examples of Hitler's anti-Semitism manifested as actual violence. Synagogues were burned, stores were looted, and people were killed just for "looking Jewish".

Flash forward more than 60 years later. Bush and his cronies on the religious right ALSO have their enemies. Liberals, the French, gays and Muslims/Arab Americans are all prime targets at home, while the war in Iraq becomes America's very own pogrom. From Baghdad to Fallujah, innocent lives are being taken (100,000 Iraqi civilians and climbing) and mosques are being laid to waste. And just like the citizens of Nazi Germany, many Americans don't notice because the victims are "the enemy".

Originally Posted by DamienHTF

Characteristic 4 - THE SUPREMACY OF THE MILITARY / AVID MILITARISM
"Ruling elites always identified closely with the military and the industrial infrastructure that supported it. A disproportionate share of national resources was allocated to the military, even when domestic needs were acute. The military was seen as an expression of nationalism, and was used whenever possible to assert national goals, intimidate other nations, and increase the power and prestige of the ruling elite."

Here we see two prime examples of militarism gone awry. On the left, the Axis Powers of WWII (represented by Mussolini, Hitler, and Hirohito). At the height of their control, nearly all of Europe was occupied by Axis forces, as you can see by the map, as well as a great deal of the Pacific (not shown).

And on the other side of the center line, the Project for the New American Century, commonly known as the PNAC. Headed by William Kristol, the PNAC is a Washington-based organization that aims to make the entire rest of the world more conducive to American leadership. The list of prominent members includes several key Bush administration officials, including Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Paul Wolfowitz. The PNAC is a neoconservative group that views America as an imperial power, and hopes to further its goals by any means necessary, including military brute force. Apparently, these guys have failed to learn from history. MILITARY EMPIRES ALWAYS FAIL! Shown in red on the map below are countries that have either allied themselves militarily with the U.S. or have been/will soon be occupied by U.S. troops. Of special note here is Iran. Brace yourselves, folks, because it seriously looks like Iran is next. The Bush administration, with John Bolton's guidance, has decided to prepare itself for military action in Iran by June.

DamienHTF is an artist on dA who is doing a series on fascism, using Dr. Laurence W. Britt's 14 points of fascism.