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Fascism and its Defining Elements
From the realms of political philosophy, Fascism is considered as a governmental tendency where administrative institutions present dispositions of autocracy, tyranny, and dictatorship. Considerably, regimes applying this style seek to convince citizens that the interests of the nation are more important that individual and civil rights. Thus, the latter can be forgone at the expense of the former. Other major characteristics include forceful crackdowns on opposition systems by use of state resources, political and social regimentation, and existence of other dictatorial features.
The defining elements of Fascism seek to assert the position of the importance of nationality and continuation of ideas of nationalism. Thus, such systems design nationalistic slogans, songs, and other forms of paraphernalia that aim at enhancing nationalism. Further, national security stands out as another major obsession of fascist regimes. In this sense, individuals are governmental institutions establish military and police institutions whose main functions are to intimidate perceived opponents of the system. Such units receive preferential treatment to ensure governmental demands are implemented. This is also accompanied with obsession with punishment of crime that is commonly implemented unlawfully.
In relation to other societal institutions like religion and education, the enlightening ability and power of such institutions commonly gets taken away and consumed into the government. Thus religious institutions almost intertwine with the government; developing what is almost a case of state religions. So is the case of media and communication channels like television, radio, print, and other forms of broadcast. In fascist systems, such institutions are either state owned or extremely controlled. This reduces enlightenment and ensures successful perpetuation of fascist tendencies.
On the other hand, it is worth noting that most Fascists come to power through the support of corporate institutions. As a result, most corporate institutions receive unquestioned government protection. This is irrespective of whether they carry out business in ways that affect the masses negatively and exploit them.
In considerations relating to individuals, Fascists start by not recognising human rights and freedoms. Thus, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and detention without trials commonly occur. In extreme cases, torturous tendencies are also identified. Markedly, most Fascists use the ideas of insecurity and solidifying the collective national interest so as to perpetuate these unacceptable elements. Also, Fascists frustrate enlightenment and intellectualism with individuals attempting to enlighten others getting arrested or banned from activity. As well, the collective ability to bargain for wages as well as collective labour power get suppressed extensively.
Corruption, misuse of national resources, and sycophancy also stand out as other distinctive marks of Fascist regimes. Governments are characterised by lack of professional approaches in implementation because appointees are not professionals but rather cronies and sycophants to power holders. Still, ministers, state secretaries and other office holders have overwhelming and uncontrolled power and authority over resources in their dockets. To this end, they commonly loot and misuse such resources. Commonly, the system has sexist and gender discriminative trends where most officials are purely male.
Probably, the most outstanding defining element of Fascism is fraudulent and commonly rigged elections. This is because it is through this means that Fascists set themselves into power. After initial establishments, Fascists employ all state resources including state forces in re-rigging elections to ensure they continually remain in power.
In Sum, Fascism is definitively characterised by continuous election frauds, corrupt systems, oppression of individual rights and the use of ideologies of national security and nationalism to perpetuate undemocratic suppression. Elementarily, it is autocratic and dictatorial.
