The conservative movement in the United States, for the past fifty years, has moved increasingly to the right. In that movement, is engendered fascist aspects of political, social and economic behavior.
A fascist fanatic must constant prove his/her purity of thought. This drive for purity of thought, ideological loyalty to political belief, must, in the world of fanaticism, be constantly proven.
Hence, the fanatic carries a copy of the Constitution or the Bible in their pocket. They chant slogans, that Rush if Right, or never give in.
Fanatics blame the "liberal media" for bias, whenever their fanaticism is divulged. Sarah Palin, a fanatic, famously claimed that the "liberal press" ruined her chances to be Vice-President. The questions were biased, unfair, and were a gotcha; even though she did not have a clue how to answer them.
Fox News, another fanatical organization, claims "fair and balanced" but as an opposite force to the "liberal media". Importantly, whenever Fox is caught lying in other unethical behavior, it is explained away as "efforts to counteract the evil liberal press".
One wonders how Murdock explains away breaking into emails, as ethical anti-socialist behavior, hiring professional hackers, to basically steal information that is used to smear political opponents. Lying to win, the ends justifies the means, is a tactic to obtain the ideological result.
The ends justify the means, is a huge part of Fox's approach, and the fanatical conservatives.
In their myth cluttered political philosophy, the evils of socialism and communism, justify lying and making things up to win politically. Fanatics justify illegalities by arguing that the threats to liberty are so pervasive, that they MUST cheat to win.
As fascist fanatics move further to the right, the thin blue line of civil rights and individual freedoms get blurred.
We saw this played out with the torture used by the Bush Administration; the cause of homeland security was so important, that torture was justified; even against American citizens.
Any reminder that this behavior is wrong, immoral and also doesn't work to get information; is attacked as weak, liberal, and un-American.
Fascist fanatics also work themselves into corners of thought, where they are willing to kill or die for their beliefs. Imagined threats are worked into reality, and political opponents are seen as dire enemies, who must ultimately be eliminated.
No longer content to debate, to reason, to operate within civil law, the fanatic becomes more "pure" by first restraining the opponent, then jailing them, and finally, to "purify the country" eliminating them.
Rush Limbaugh demonstrated this progression in the recent controversy, where he began by discrediting his imagined opponent, then verbally attacked her, then tried to destroy her; depicting her as a prostitute, and suggesting that she become a porn star. This was destruction pure and simple; verbal at first, but given the chance, could become actual physical attack.
In a real sense, Limbaugh assaulted the "liberal slut", in an assault meant to not just discredit, but to destroy.
And, Linbaugh also included the test: that the true conservative fanatic, must adhere to his attack or risk being not pure, not sufficiently conservative or dedicated .
And what was most threatened? Liberty of course. Lindbaugh depicted himself as the fanatical hero, pure in the face of the liberal slut, protecting freedom and liberty. He even said that at one point, that he was alone facing the opponents of freedom (while destroying the freedom of speech of another).
Fascist fanaticism exists in the conservative movement in America today at a level not seen since the 1930s and the Fascist American Bund. There are powerful financial forces allied together, who long ago crossed the line into fascism and who are planning the destruction of civil rights and the rule of law. A student of fascism can see the criteria, and the behaviors, increasing on the right.
Finally, fascist fanaticism cannot be easily eradicated. A hallmark of fanaticism is stubborn allegiance to "the cause", which is manifest in oaths, promises written in ceremonial pledges to never give in, to never surrender. This ceremonial pledging, promising to the end to be loyal to the "cause" is the last stages of fanatical fanaticism.
The fascist leader, at the movements latter stages, hold endless rallies and demonstrations, where the masses take oaths to protect the homeland, to denouce their enemies, to fight to the end; etc. Serial oath taking is a criteria of fascist political thought.
The individual is urged to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, the "cause" or the "leader" up to and including sacrificing their lives. This self-sacrifice is fed by the need to belong, to win, to purge the nation of the "unclean". These committments are always part of an oath, a public demonstration that the cause is more important than individual rights or thought.
Again, we see this in Lindbaugh's comments. The young woman was a prostitute, wanting taxpayers to pay for her sex, some called it recreational sex, and Lindbaugh even wanted to watch. Those fellow conservatives who were appalled by her behavior were admonished by Lindbaugh to "join me" in condemning her; pledging our loyalty to fight against the liberal media and the slut.
All of these are stages, along which a fascist fanatic proceeds, until the ultimate conclusion: war, violence and death to the unclean, the liberals (or socialists). Pledges and oaths soon give way to promises to fight, to kill, for the cause.
The problem is, the fanatical fascist, once they have moved through all the stages of radicalism, is committed to the death for the cause. Nothing can dissuade them. If they do begin to think about what they are really doing, it is weakness and cannot be tolerated. This leads to the inevitable purges that have afflicted fascist organizations in history.
I am reminded of the inevitable Brown Shirt purge in Nazi Germany in 1936, where Hitler killed thousands of his followers, because of their "impurities". Purging of impurities for the cause are a hallmark of fascism.
In a sense, Mitt Romney faces that kind of purge today. The instinct in conservative fanatics is to purge Romney, he is not conservative enough, he can never be right enough. Hence, the Republican primary drags on and on, even though Romney will probably be the victor, but the fanatics will "destroy the village to save it", willing to destroy Romney to "purify" the party. Moderates have already been purged by the Tea Party; only the pure constitutionists belong in the Tea Party.
I predict if Romney is nominated and is defeated,yet another purge will take place in the Republican Party, the Tea Party will revolt, and seek to destroy the moderates in the Party for the sake of even more purity.
Some of this is going on already, as the fanatics drive harder and harder for purity, especially concerning social issues like pro-life, abortion issues. A conservative cannot just be pro-life, they now must be pure pro-life, no exceptions, abortion must be outlawed in every circumstance. There can be no compromise.
Several states, have passed repressive restrictions on abortion, requiring invasive tests aimed at scaring women away from considering an abortion. Moreover, sexual purification is also the goal, no pre-marital sex, no contraceptives; the Puritan ethic of the Scarlet Letter is reborn.
Fanatical fascism is building its power in American today through the Tea Parties and the conservative movement. The progression toward violence is traceable, and becoming more predictable.
As it grows in power, it will get harder to stop.
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