Identifying the Black Shoots of Fascism

If any lesson has been learned in recent years, it should be that achieving democracy does not constitute "the end of history." Leaving aside the degree to which any society ever has "achieved" democracy, to do so would be more like a mountain climber gaining the peak - the view is splendid, but living there takes effort. Nothing is easier than sliding back down the peak of democracy.

Diagnosing World Politics 

 

The weeds of authoritarianism or outright fascism sprout easily in fertile democratic soil. Authoritarian figures like nothing better than to exploit the  civil liberties of democracy in order to kill it. It is not clear that even a perfect democracy would be stable, but certainly no known democratic society--especially one with a population as ignorant and amenable to manipulation by politicians with private agendas as that of the U.S.--can be considered stable. A democratic society is a mountain climber perched on a very slippery slope.

Everyone who values civil liberties should keep their eyes peeled for the following (short list of) the black shoots of fascism. Do you see any sprouting in the garden of your democracy?

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Black Shoots of Fascism

Patriotism tests for professors

Police failing to prevent mass ethnic violence

Violence against civil rights activists

Public figures attacking patriotism of peace activists

Public figures calling for murder of foreign leaders

Arrests of investigative journalists

Arrests of people meeting dissidents

Government closing of critical newspapers

Building “security walls” that enclose minorities

Advocating the expulsion of a minority

Police violence against peaceful demonstrators

Arresting activists on the basis of vague, non-falsifiable charges

Paramilitary violence

The open protection by police or the military of paramilitary gangs committing violence

Outlawing the language of a minority

Advocacy of war

Glorification of violence

Advocacy of nuclear aggression

Advocacy of preventive war

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Pull them up while they are small.