The definition of "fascism"

[Harry Monroe]

According to the 1983 editon of the American Heritage Dictionary:

Fascism: "A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."

[redqueen]

1. Grrr... too many people say this isn't it.

:wtf: are they thinking?

[SmokingJacket]

6. I think it's weird and terrifying.

The GOP and specifically the Bush administration is seeing how far they can go in changing the meaning of words -- how powerful are they?? Can they take a word like fascism -- which denotes RIGHT-WING extremism -- and turn it around to apply to the left?

It's the kind of thing totalitarian regimes like to do. The Nazis called themselves Socialists, but they were anything but.

[Name removed]

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[Ripley]

11. That is an ignorant comment.

Germany was in bed with big business every damn bit as much as Italy was with Fiat.

[The Deacon]

2. Exactly -

This is why "Islamic Fascism" is a misnomer. But then, why expect anything different from a guy who just now got around to reading Camus and Shakespeare?

[SmokingJacket]

7. It's not ignorance, though. It's deliberate.

If you showed up with a dictionary and said, "Look guys, you're getting it all wrong," they wouldn't say, Oh, geez, you're right!

And it's not Bush, either. I don't know who comes up with the stuff, but I guess it's probably Rove -- knowing how Bush calls him "Turdblossom."

[chat_noir]

10. Turdblossom

[rhiannon55]

3. Yup. Sounds like the current WH occupants

Fascism is alive and well and spewing forth from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

[RethugAssKicker]

4. this is exactly what our government currently is !

It is not a slur.

We literally live in a facist country !

[mike_c]

5. the U.S. government is using the term "fascism" as a buzz word...

...without any reference to its actual meaning, which is pretty damned ironic under the circumstances. Pot, meet kettle.

[rock]

9. The key word is "government"

Terrorists are in no fashion, a government, ergo they don't practice fascism.

[LUHiWY]

12. What it is.....

Economic fascism


As a political reality...it operates wearing a disguise of "democracy" and "capitalism".

Many are active proponents of it....and most at least participate in it...due to the obvious economic and political advantages...not to mention the social pressures involved.

Proponents deny the reality of what they are engaged in...and prefer calling it something else.

It occurs because the majority of the general populace are willing to accept the facade that is presented to them....allowing them to avoid the necessity of acknowledging the real structure behind it.

Often economic facism morphs into or walks hand in hand with the more widely recognized militaristic fascism as seen during the WWII years.


http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=denial


Denial....

3. a) A refusal to accept or believe something, such as a doctrine or belief.

b) Psychology. An unconscious defense mechanism characterized by refusal to acknowledge painful realities, thoughts, or feelings.

4. The act of disowning or disavowing; repudiation.



THE GOLDEN RULE OF DISINFORMERS:

Always accuse your adversary of whatever is true about yourself.

[bryant69]

13. There are number of definitions of fascism

and this one seems pretty incomplete. It defines a fascist government, perhaps, but it does not address fascist movements that do not sieze control There were fascist movements throughout europe in the interwar period, and some of them were quite powerful. But by this definition they weren't fascist because they didn't actually control the government.

Bryant
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