|
archived: 23 - 29 May, 2004 Back Next MAY 27, 2004 UPDATE
STEVEN JONAS, MD, MPH, MS Increasingly, in dealing with the Georgite Regime’s actions, programs, and policies the words "fascist" and "fascism" are being used to describe them. However, the terms are most often used without definition. Since they then become nothing more than epithets, I think that this is not particularly useful in serious politics and for serious historical analysis. In this column, I take a different approach to the subject. I came across the following comprehensive definition of the term”fascism” in Appendix II of the rather obscure book The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2002, first published in 1996. (I have been told that this book, written by the pseudononymous “Jonathan Westminster,” is shortly to be re-released, with a New Introduction, prepared by the print-on-demand publisher Xlibris. It will be available though their website, www.Xlibris.com, as well as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.) According to the book’s author, this definition (admittedly quite lengthy) was not drawn out of thin air. It was based on Westminster’s analysis of the historical experience in those countries that have acknowledged themselves as fascist, especially Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. I think that this definition is a very useful one. I present it here. For most of its 14 elements, I also present one or more those actions, policies, and programs of the Georgite Regime that happen to be entirely consistent with it. The reader is left to make his/her own judgment as to whether the “shoe fits” the Georgite foot that is if, walking and quacking like a duck, it’s a duck. A Definition of Fascism (with the major elements of the Georgite profile that fit following each): Fascism is a political, social, and economic system that has the following baker's dozen plus one of major defining characteristics: 1. There is complete executive branch control of government policy and action. There is no independent judicial or legislative branch of government. Examples of Georgite fascism: Taking over the judiciary and making it subservient to the executive branch, through appointments, the use of the law and rule-making, and selective refusal to abide by the present judiciary’s decisions. Limiting Congressional authority to the extent possible; while through admonition and political threats and bribery, making Congressional Republicans as subservient to the White House as feasible. 2. There is no constitution to which government is subject and that is recognized by all political forces as having an authority beyond that claimed by the regime in power, to which that regime is subject. The rule of men, not law, is supreme. Example: The increasingly frequent referral by George Bush to his dependence on his belief in a “higher power,” one that, as Scalia and Thomas have said for years, stands above the Constitution in authority. Since there is no possibility of independent determination of what this “higher power” has to say, its/his/her word, of course consequently is whatever George Bush says it is. Ergo, the rule of man, not law. 3. There is only one political party, and no mass organizations of any kind other than those approved by the government are permitted. Example: As of now, with the unprecedented moves to redistrict in non-census years, the DeLay/Cheney/Bush Republicans are certainly moving to establish at least the first element of a single party system in our country. 4. Government establishes and enforces the rules of "right" thinking, "right" action, and "right" religious devotion. Examples: take your pick from among illegalization of the right to freedom of belief, for all persons regardless of age or sex, on the matter of when life begins, to the campaign to remove homosexuals from the purview of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment, to the drive to retroactively put “God” (the Christian Rightist concept of “God,” of course) into the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (preferably above it). 5. Racism, homophobia, misogynism, and national chauvinism are major factors in national politics and policy-making. Examples: I don’t need to spell out this one. 6. There is no recognition of inherent personal rights. Only the government can grant "rights." Any "rights" granted by the government may be diminished or removed by it from any individual or group at any time without prior notice, explanation, or judicial review. Thus, there is no presumed freedom of speech, press, religion, or even belief, automatically accompanying citizenship. There are no inherent or presumed protections against any violations of personal liberty committed by law-enforcement or other government agencies. Examples: the “Patriot Act” has demolished the Fourth Amendment (protection against arbitrary search and seizure), the Fifth Amendment (guarantee of due process of law), and the Sixth Amendment (guarantee of a jury trial in criminal cases) for, if the Georgites get their way, US citizens as well as all others. Just wait for “Patriot Act” II. Then there is the claim that whatever rights we do have are granted by “God,” rather than being inherent. As in (2) above, that of course means that both the rights and whoever may be their beneficiaries are whatever and whoever the Georgites say that “God” says they are. 7. Official and unofficial force, internal terror, and routine torture of captured opponents are major means of governmental control. Examples: Hey, if foreigners can be routinely tortured, why not American citizens labeled as “enemy combatants by George and John? 8. There are few or no employee rights or protections, including the right of workers to bargain collectively. Only government-approved labor unions or associations are permitted to exist, and that approval may be removed at any time, without prior notice. Examples: Trying to end guaranteed overtime for certain groups of workers is only the beginning on this one. 9. All communications media are government-owned or otherwise government-controlled. Examples: Fox “News” and Right-Wing talk radio are certainly openers on this pathway. 10. All entertainment, music, art, and organized sport are controlled by the government. Examples: Hey, nobody’s perfect (but once upon a time George was of course part-owner of a baseball team). 11. There may or may not be a single charismatic leader in charge of the government, i.e., a "Dictator." Examples: Both President Bushes have expressed interest in this idea. 12. The economy is based on state supported and subsidized capitalism, with tight central control of the distribution of resources among the producers, and strict limitations on the free market for labor (as noted above). Examples: Again, hey, nobody’s perfect (yet). But again, the Georgites are moving in that direction with, for example the extraordinary care and attention they lavish on the extractive industries. 13. The fascist takeover of the government of a major power always leads to foreign war and adventurism sooner or later. Examples: No comment necessary. 14. Built as it is on terror, repression, and an ultimately fictional/self-delusional representation of historical, political, and economic reality [emphasis added to the original Westminster definition], fascism is inherently unstable and always carries with it the seeds of its own destruction. To date, such seeds have always sprouted within a relatively short historical period of time. Examples: Well, they got the “fictional/self-delusional” stuff right. The book from which this set of history-based definitions is quoted was published in 1996. So my question is this: did the Georgites read it first, or are they just coming to it naturally? To conclude, if you don’t like long definitions, here is my own short definition of fascism for our era (which I think fits the Georgites pretty well too): “Fascism is a political system that, standing on a base of an unfettered, oligolopic, expansionist, capitalist economy the creed of which is greed, through the use of State power and force establishes the ultimate denial of the rule of law, the existence of inherent human rights, and human free will and autonomy.” _______________
Dr. Steven Jonas is a TPJ
contributing author. He is a Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony
Brook University (NY) and author of some twenty books. Dr. Jonas is one of
America's most perceptive Democratic political analysts. The 15% Solution: A Political History of American Fascism, 2001-2022 is available from Amazon under the name "Johnathan Westminster" (just click on the title). _____________________________________________ MAY 25, 2004 UPDATE
TPJ FIVE If you did not watch Bush’s performance last night, there was little to miss. Earlier in the week, Bush appeared before nervous Republican Congressmen and gave a “pep rally.” Last night, Bush delivered a national “pep rally.” Many Republican Congressman were disappointed with Bush’s appearance before his Party’s elected leaders because he came, he spoke, he left without taking questions. – National Review Bush’s speech last night demonstrated that after fourteen months Bush and his neoconservatives have learned no lessons, corrected no destructive course, offered nothing new. General Anthony Zinni (ret.) is one of the most respected members in history of the US Military command. Zinni’s impeccable analysis: “There has been poor strategic thinking in this,” says Zinni. “There has been poor operational planning and execution on the ground. And to think that we are going to ‘stay the course,’ the course is headed over Niagara Falls. I think it's time to change course a little bit, or at least hold somebody responsible for putting you on this course. Because it's been a failure.”
"In the lead up to the Iraq war and its later conduct, I saw at a minimum, true dereliction, negligence and irresponsibility, at worse, lying, incompetence and corruption." -- CBS News In sum, Zinni confirms “they’ve screwed up.” -- CBS News Bush’s “pep rally” was filled with the typical soaring rhetoric that led America into a war that was fabricated by the neoconservatives. Rhetoric that has been stripped of its capability to inspire as the vulgar realities of war have been inexorably exposed. Evidencing the hypocrisy, the United States will tear down its torture chamber at Abu Ghraib as a symbolic gesture to Iraqis there will be justice, MSNBC, at the same time the United States negotiated civil immunity for the actions of American and coalition forces: British and American troops are to be granted immunity from prosecution in Iraq after the crucial 30 June handover, undermining claims that the new Iraqi government will have 'full sovereignty' over the state. Despite widespread ill-feeling about the abuse of prisoners by American forces and allegations of mistreatment by British troops, coalition forces will be protected from any legal action. They will only be subject to the domestic law of their home countries. Military sources have told The Observer that the question of immunity was central to obtaining military agreement on a new United Nations resolution on Iraq to be published by the middle of next month. – The Observer Equally telling, “[t]he Bush administration pledged yesterday for the first time that the United States will not torture terrorism suspects or treat them cruelly in an attempt to extract information, Washington Post, while Bush’s minion, Donald Rumsfeld orders the "[d]igital cameras, camcorders and cell phones with cameras [that exposed America’s secret torture] prohibited in military compounds in Iraq." – News Australia Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, sharply addresses what must now happen: When you are in a hole, stop digging. That is the maxim that should now be applied to the war in Iraq. . . .
The images of torture by US forces and the worsening security situation are not short-term aberrations - they are the outcome of the wrong policy. . . .
The first US attempt to bludgeon its way out of the problem of political legitimacy was the massive military action in built-up areas such as Falluja - all guns blazing but wearing a blindfold. The effect was to drive wider layers of the population into opposition to the US presence. . . .
When information is not forthcoming, the only way to try to get it is to beat it out of people. That is the logic that has led to the horrific scenes in Abu Ghraib. . . .
The efforts of the Bush administration to square this circle through the transfer of some power to an unelected Iraqi administration on June 30 will fail. The US will retain real control of security. No Iraqi administration that does not control the security forces is "sovereign", nor will it be seen as such.
This is literally a life-and-death matter for . . . soldiers and Iraqi civilians. The policy we are pursuing cannot succeed and it will remain far worse for everyone involved, not just the Iraqis, than the earliest possible withdrawal of . . . forces from Iraq. – Guardian Unlimited When Bush was anointed as President by the Supreme Court he inherited a nation at work, prosperous, and with government surpluses affording America and opportunity to pay down years of debt. Today, Americans are struggling to find good jobs to earn a living wage, the surpluses are gone and Bush is racking up debt in unprecedented amounts. He has robbed us of our prosperity. As TPJ goes to press this evening, the price of crude oil reached new highs and a gallon of gas is averaging $2.06. – Yahoo TPJ joins with Mayor Livingstone – WITHDRAW. _____________________________________________
Last Update: 03/23/2006 |
