Conservapedia:Fascism

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottoes, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays. Citizens who do not prominently display flags in front of their house, on the rear window of their SUV and on their lapel are suspected to be in sympathy with foreign powers seeking the nation's destruction.

Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." Citizens tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, lengthy incarcerations of prisoners, etc. on the assumption that the government would not indulge in such actions unless it were absolutely necessary. The arrest of a suspect is considered proof of guilt.

Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, immigrants, etc. The scapegoat is used both as an excuse for extraordinary "national security" measures, and as the culprit for any economic, social or other problems the nation may experience due to the government's mismanagement.

Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. The military is given extra-constitutional powers over the civilian population.

Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Female initiated divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or by sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is the rule rather than the exception.

Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses, and as an excuse to suspend constitutional provisions and human rights. The media play an important role in this process.

Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions. Sympathetic religious leaders are enlisted in the fascist cause, and dissidents are excommunicated or diposed of by other means.

Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. This provides cheap labor for business with few safeguards against dangerous or unfair working conditions.

Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed. Labor unions are portrayed as selfish and unpatriotic.

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked. Academia and the arts are tolerated only insofar as they can be used to provide support for the fascist agenda.

Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws and maintain control of society. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism and security. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. In other cases elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

Fascist regimes employ a secret police to spy on the civilian population and encourage neighbor to spy on each other and family members to report on each other. Dissent is supressed in a society where no one knows who they can trust, and who might report them for the most casual criticism of the government.