Over the past few years, the word “fascism” has been used with increasing frequency. However, the meanings intended by various people seem to vary widely. Some usages are completely off the mark, while others seem to vary across a continuum from fascism as a set of patterns of thinking and action to a more formal political philosophy. In this exploration, we will focus on what appears to be the standard agreed upon features that comprise the continuum of fascism.

Fascism is about acquiring and maintaining power over and control of a country – its people and its government. The following list of characteristics of fascism was developed by Lawrence Britt from his research that focused on several modern fascist regimes, namely those of Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany, Franco in Spain, Suharto in Indonesia, and Pinochet in Chile.

The formal establishment of fascism is credited to Benito Mussolini, who established the National Fascist Part in Italy, years after an earlier version: the Fasci Italiani di Combatimento, in 1919. Hitler was enamored with Mussolini’s work and developed the Nazi Party based on Mussolini’s fascist government.

The following list is an abbreviated version of one posted in the Spring, 2003, issue of Free Inquiry magazine. This list also appears on a brochure at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

Characteristics and Patterns of Fascism

• Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
• Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
• Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
• Supremacy of the Military
• Rampant Sexism
• Controlled Mass Media
• Obsession with National Security
• Religion and Government are Intertwined
• Corporate Power is Protected
• Labor Power is Suppressed
• Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
• Obsession with Crime and Punishment
• Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
  • Fraudulent Elections

For details on each of these characteristics, please refer to Lawrence Britt's descriptions here or in Free Inquiry magazine.

Here are some recommended articles on fascism. 
Reading these 3 short articles in the following order may be helpful.


CLICK ON THE TITLE TO ACCESS

Waxman, Olivia B. (2019, March 22). What to Know About the Origins of Fascism’s Brutal Ideology. Time Magazine.
 -- Waxman provides a chilling history of fascism with long historical roots. However, the term, fascism, was coined by Mussolini who created the fascist doctrine.

Illing, Sean. (2018, December 15). How Fascism Works: A Yale Philosopher on Fascism, Truth, and Donald Trump. Vox.
 -- Sean Illing interviews Jason Stanley who takes a wider view of fascism as a continuum of techniques, which focuses mostly on identifying enemies, appealing to the “in-group,” and destroying truth while replacing it with power. The threads of such fascist ideas and techniques linger in the United States, and is beginning to rise to the forefront of politics in this country.

Bokat-Lindell, Spencer (2020, July 30). Fascism: A Concern. The New York Times. 
-- Spencer Bokat-Lindel looks at fascism in the U.S. and whether using the term is at all useful.

Some Videos About Fascism

“How Fascism Works: A Warning for the U.S.”

From Amanpoiur & Company (on Youtube)

“How Fascism Works” by Jason Stanley

From Democracy Now (on Youtube)

Explorations & Inquiries
Introduction to Exploring & Inquiring Into Fascism

The activities suggested below are designed to provide opportunities to examine our world in ways that may deepen and extend our understandings of the nature, dynamics, and the extent of fascism and the patterns of thinking and behaving that contribute to its development. In order to get started with our explorations, we need to consider a number of themes, concepts, and approaches, which are listed below.

TRANSCONTEXTUALITY — Rather than focusing on just the political or any other context as a distinct and separate entity, we need to look at the board range of contexts that may be involved. Some of these contexts include the following, but you may find others.

• Political Contexts
• Economic & Employment Contexts
• Legal & Judicial Contexts
• Cognitive & Emotional Contexts
• Cultural & Social Contexts
• Educational Contexts
• Health & Medical Contexts
• Contexts of Diversity
• Military Contexts
• Contexts of Safety & Welfare
• Contexts of Recreation & Entertainment
• Technological Contexts

PATTERNS — Simply, patterns are those actions, events, objects, etc. that repeat themselves. Although we may see a unique pattern that occurs once and never again, the more important patterns are those that recur over time, across and between contexts, and so forth. Some patterns tend to span time and space, such as the ubiquity of spheres, clocks/calendars (including biological clocks), and binaries. Probably most patterns arise, are significant for some period of time, then disappear.

MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES — The notion of multiple perspectives involves examining certain situations from the perspective of different people, different contexts, different sectors of society, different disciplines or subject matter areas (e.g., science, art, history, sociology, anthropology, mathematics, etc.). Although to some extent we can take on these multiple perspectives, eliciting such perspectives from other people from different contexts is much more robust and inclusive.

COMPLEXITY — Complexity refers to systems and their relationships, interdependencies, recursive patterns, work to maintain such systems. Although arguable, I see complex systems as lying along a continuum from pathological and destructive to healthy and constructive. Complex systems do not occur in isolation as separate and distinct from other systems, but do occur as intertwined, co-dependent or interdependent systems that affect one another.

RELATIONSHIPS — Everything in our world is in relationship with other things. So, when we talk about examining relationships, we need to not only include those between people, but also between contexts, between contexts and people, etc. The nature and dynamics of relationships vary. Some relationships are balanced and reciprocal, while others are out of balance, and some may even be pathological or damaging to the relationship itself.

POWER — Who has power? How is the power used? Do people want power? What types of power? How does power affect the person with the power and those who are subject to the power?
 -- RECOMMENDED CLASSIC READINGS: Bertrand Russell's Power: A New Social Analysis & Hannah Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism.

DOUBLE BINDS — Double binds are problematic situations that seemingly have no viable resolution. They are commonly referred to as Catch-22’s or no-win situations. However, they are usually a contextual problem, such as a family where one or both parents create a context of double binds. Such contexts are characterized by admonishments like: “Why are you always late?” “If everyone was a lazy as you …..!” “You know I love you (while scowling and saying it with no conviction).” Double binds offer no clear way to respond in a way that you aren’t put into a position of guilt, harm, etc. Most single event double binds may be intense, but living in an environment characterized by double binds can be profoundly difficult and have negative effects on one’s psychological state.
 Recommended Reading: Gregory Bateson’s Steps to an Ecology of Mind.

INTERDEPENDENCIES — Interdependencies occur within organisms, between people, between contexts, and between systems. The living system of wolves, who live in forest ecosystems, which function within a climatic context or system is an example of interdependency. If the climate changes it affect the forest ecosystem and wolves. Wolves also help keep forest ecosystems healthy, which in turn affects the micro-climate and macro-climate. Children, families, schools, communities, and the nation are all intertwined and interdependent systems. In looking at almost anything in our world, we need to understand the interdependencies in order to grasp the full extent and depth of whatever we are examining.

INTEGRITY — At a fundamental level, “integrity” has to do with stability and durability, such as the structural integrity of a building or a bridge. Dictionaries also focus on: 

• incorruptibility • soundness • completeness. 

However, I have been considering the notion of integrity as having many more characteristics and dimensions when we are examining people, various social contexts and systems, as well as other living things. Other characteristics may include:
• Honesty    • Veracity    • Uprightness    • Truth    • Honor    • Reliability   
• Rectitude • Forthrightness    • Incorruptibility    • Principled    • Sincerity    
• Goodness    • Probity    • Virtue    • Righteousness    • Purity    • Candor 
• Straightforwardness.

Some Key Questions to Consider in the Exploration Activities

The following questions can help you focus on certain issues as you work through the following explorations and inquiries. However, please add your own questions as they arise.

The “Characteristics or Patterns of Fascism” listed at the beginning of this Exploration can be used to examine particular contexts. However, you may find additional patterns to include here.

1. In considering the list of characteristics of fascism (above) as patterns that may lead to the development of fascism, which of these patterns are evident in whatever context you are examining? 
How do you think these patterns are affecting people and the context?
 What patterns of thinking and acting in what we observe and experience in our everyday lives are similar to the patterns involved in fascism?
2. What contexts are affected by patterns of fascism or of fascist regimes? 
How are these contexts affected? 
How do these contexts affect one another?
3. Try to examining the contexts and patterns of fascism from different contextual perspectives. 
How do these perspectives differ? 
In what ways do these differing perspectives align with or against patterns of fascism?
4. If we examine the complexity of a fascist system or a system with fascist tendencies, what sorts of recursive patterns — that is, patterns that are cyclical and which add more information on each cycle — patterns do we see?
 How do these recursive patterns maintain the fascist tendencies or system?
5. Can you describe the nature and dynamics of the relationships between the key people in a fascist system or a system with fascist tendencies? 
Can you describe the relationships between the key players and the people within the system?
How do the relationships vary across across the diversity among people?
6. What are the power dynamics in the fascist system or the system with fascist tendencies?
 Who has power?
 How is this power used?
7. Can you identify some of the double binds evident in this system?
 Which double binds are established by people and which ones are established by the system itself? 
How are the double binds affecting the people in the double binds?
8. How are the systems or contexts involved in the fascist situation interdependent upon one another?
 What are the natures of the interdependencies?
9. What happens to the notion of integrity in a fascist system? 


Exploration & Inquiry Activities

Exploration #1

In this Exploration, watch the video below. Take note of the Characteristics and Patterns of Fascism, listed above. In addition, use the Questions, above, to guide your exploration of fascism.

Please share your ideas, insights, results, and questions in the Comments section, below, or in the Members' Discussion Forum.

Rick Steves’ The Story of Fascism

Exploration #2

In this exploration, let’s take a look at what we might call “micro-patterns” of fascism. Here we are not examining an actual fascist regime or context, but an everyday context which may exhibit some of the patterns that contribute to the development of fascism. These patterns can contribute to the socialization of people, thereby making them more receptive to accepting or even welcoming fascism.

In this exploration, you can examine places where you work, go to school, or have worked or gone to school. You can follow some news story about a workplace or community of some sort. You also may find a documentary that could provide information that may be useful to observe.

Again, take note of the Characteristics and Patterns of Fascism, listed above. In addition, use the Questions, above, to guide your exploration of fascism.

Please share your ideas, insights, results, and questions in the Comments section, below, or in the Members' Discussion Forum.

Exploration #3

This final exploration focuses on what is happening in nations around the world at this very moment. You can explore what is going on in your own country or in another. As with the previous two explorations, you can refer back to the Characteristic Patterns of Fascism and to the Questions.

Your sources of information can be from your personal experiences, news reports, and other reliable media or personal sources. You can observe how the media, from news to fiction and advertising to reality TV shows desensitize people to fascist tendencies or even promote such tendencies. As you collect observations and ponder the patterns and questions, think about what can be done at various levels from personal to governmental to avoid the development of fascism. Also, think about ways of working against fascism that may lie in between institutions, agencies, and other formalized groups.

Please share your ideas, insights, results, and questions in the Comments section, below, or in the Members' Discussion Forum.

Some Closing Comments

If you’ve had a chance to work through these explorations, I suspect that you have begun to develop some deeper understandings of the complexity of the problems of facing our global community. By “complexity,” I mean the interdependencies among many contexts and systems that promote the continuation of these intertwined systems. I also hope that you have become much more familiar with transcontextuality as a way of deepening and extending the way we understand these big, wicked problems.

© 2024 by Jeffrey W Bloom