In a magazine article titled "Fascism Anyone?" (Free Inquiry, Vol. 23, No. 2), Laurence Britt, who studied fascist regimes, lists 14 common threads. Here are a few: powerful and continuing nationalism; disdain for human rights; identification of enemies as unifying cause; obsession with national security; rampant cronyism and corruption in positions of power; and religion and government intertwined.
Three points to be made here:
- While it's not an online discussion, the corollary of Godwin's Law--which holds that whoever brings up the Nazis (or, in this case, their more generic fascist equivalents) has lost the argument--should probably apply here.
- With the exception of the last two points--one of which applies just as well to Democrats as to Republicans, and the other of which is used/abused by the columnist to confuse religious activism with a state-sponsored church--these "common threads" are largely exaggerations of traits that are essential for a nation's survival and prosperity.
- Whether one believes these traits have crossed the line into fascist characteristics is almost certainly determined by whether one believes we are confronted by a serious threat.
Suffice it to say that Bauer-King and I have very different opinions on that last question.
--Shack
1 comment:
McIlheran observes that a CASH transaction of more than $10K must be recorded w/SSAN for IRS purposes.
It's an extension of the old Bank rules requiring notification to IRS of any CASH transactions of $10K and above.
Of course, "paying cash" is rare and the column is not specific. In 95% of the cases, what that really means is "I'm writing a check; you don't have to finance me."
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