Pixelated Semantics

A schizotypical inventory

The 14 Signs of A Fascist State

Of these criteria, the only one I cannot positively identify in the Australian context is Fraudulent Elections, although the persistance of unfair electoral distributions is a serious question. The remaining 13 items are fairly easy to find media references for. The fact that this country fits the majority of criteria is of extreme concern: deciphering media and exposing linguistic pathologies are but a game in the face of totalitarian brutality.

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
4. Supremacy of the Military
5. Rampant Sexism
6. Controlled Mass Media
7. Obsession with National Security
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
9. Corporate Power is Protected
10. Labor Power is Suppressed
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
14. Fraudulent Elections

The author of the article considers that the "most notable characteristic of a fascist country is the [...]denial of equality to a specific segment of the population". However, in contemporary society, the target of persecution no longer has to be specific - indeed the "war on terror" is shadow-boxing on an institutional scale. And the "war" is becoming deeply embedded in our culture - the number of targets of this "war" is profligate. From 'war on drugs' and 'war on terror' we have spawned a society perpetually engaging in 'war'. War against shifting, multiple targets: poverty, doctors, evil, underage boozing, TB, graft, real estate, rabies, spam, gangsters, waste, mismanagement, cronyism, and freedom have all been recently declared as targets.

Acceptance of dominant militarisation and curtailment of freedoms characterise a facist state in the 21st century: the transformation of important social activities to adversarial conflict signals the beginning of a new state of totalitarianism. Our language itself is the prime "weapon" - the constant, mindless mantra of "war" permeates our culture to the extent that little room is left to engage in non-military terms. The Generals are dominating the terrain without moving their armies.

Item posted by AutoEditor at 10:40 am ::