Below is the article titled "Fascism Anyone?" by Dr. Laurence W. Britt that appeared in the Spring 2003 Free Inquiry magazine. Free Inquiry magazine is a journal of humanist thought published quarterly by the Council for Secular Humanism. The link to the article follows the article. The list of fourteen characteristics of fascism is interesting but it leaves unexplained how fascism comes into existence in capitalist countries. The way fascism comes into existence is this. Typically, in capitalist nations that have gone fascist, the capitalist class controls most of the capital. Also, typically, the pro-fascist faction of the capitalist class uses their overwhelming economic power to finance the political campaigns of the pro-fascist politicians, and in some cases the private fascist armies at the service of pro-fascist politicians, in their rise to power. In all cases, the attraction of fascism to the pro-fascist faction of the capitalist class is they deceive themselves into believing that they can retain their enormous economic power, and the political power it can buy, without solving the inherent problems associated with capitalism or the external problems confronting capitalism. That is, they deceive themselves into believing that they can retain their power via a fascist state that crushes all political opposition. Historically, this has been a recipe for disaster. - John P. Stoltenberg, P.E.
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