Poll: Which country is at the greatest risk of succumbing to fascism?

[Infohawk]

Let's use WW2 Germany or Japan as examples of fascist states: Authoritarian and hyper-nationalist countries that attack their neighbors and attack minorities in their territories.

I believe China has the biggest chance. They are already nationalist. We know that the communism thing is just lip-service. They are already authoritarian. They don't really tolerate their minorities well and religious minorities are persecuted. The only thing they don't do is attack their neighbors. Although I don't think they will necessarily go that route, I think they are at the greatest risk. You?

(I'm leaving out Islamic countries because in many ways they already satisfy the requirements.)

 

[Throckmorton]

European countries are already attacking minorities.

 

[Infohawk]

European countries are already attacking minorities.

So you don't consider them democracies? Are they attacking their neighbors?

The US attacks other countries, do you think it's a fascist state? Go ahead and vote US or Europe if you want.

 

[Zebo]

Besides the Middle east countries which are already fascist?

1. Austria
2. USA
3. Argentina
4. Switzerland
5. Chile
6. Russia

 

[CanOWorms]

European countries are already attacking minorities.

uh oh

 

[Zebo]

European countries are already attacking minorities.

Minorities or colonists?

Used to be kicking out colonists was cool. e.g Rhodesia, South Africa, Algeria etc.. what's the difference?

 

[CanOWorms]

I think that European countries have a good chance, but I think that Australia is a good candidate, too. It's a British settler colony out by itself. It doesn't have a very large population. It is right next to emerging power Indonesia, a behemoth with an anti-Australia attitude. Paranoia is strong.

They also had the White Australia policy that was only rescinded in the 1970s. The racist, anti-minority attitude is still strong there.

 

[IronWing]

China has been fascist since the aftermath of the Tienanmen Square massacre. The USA has strong whiffs of fascism but it is not at all inevitable at this point. Burma is functionally fascist.

 

[Throckmorton]

Minorities or colonists?

Used to be kicking out colonists was cool. e.g Rhodesia, South Africa, Algeria etc.. what's the difference?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/11/AR2010101106428.html

 

[Infohawk]

I think that European countries have a good chance, but I think that Australia is a good candidate, too. It's a British settler colony out by itself. It doesn't have a very large population. It is right next to emerging power Indonesia, a behemoth with an anti-Australia attitude. Paranoia is strong.

They also had the White Australia policy that was only rescinded in the 1970s. The racist, anti-minority attitude is still strong there.

So basically any majority white country... what a surprise.

 

[CanOWorms]

So basically any majority white country... what a surprise.

What a surprise yourself.

No, I don't think that Canada or the United States will succumb to fascism. I also think that some South American countries like Chile and Argentina won't again.

 

[MovingTarget]

I was unsure to vote for the USA or China because I was thinking of the economic definition of fascism as opposed to the hyper-nationalistic part. If you include that, I'd say China, but without, the USA may have an edge.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Economically, The United States
Socially, China is already there

 

[manimal]

Antarctica..

 

[Munky]

The US... primarily because we are on the way to fascism and the people are too ignorant to notice.

 

[jhu]

With regard to the economics of fascism, why are South Korea and Japan not on the lost???

 

[werepossum]

I think you have to better define the characteristics of fascism you mean. Any communist country has the same authoritarianism, but nations with the historic mantle of fascism had a fanatical nationalism combined with rule by man rather than rule by law. Singapore for instance is fairly brutal and authoritarian, but also pretty fair about it, and I don't think that really counts as fascism.

If we are to also count economic fascism it seems to me you'd need to concentrate on whether government bent laws to favor or punish some companies and/or industries over others. I fear that for my country, but I can't honestly say with any certainty that the USA is farther along that path than your average bear (assuming your average bear is a country.)

 

[Infohawk]

People really think the US is the most likely to succumb to fascism? Last time I checked we've been having elections for hundreds of years. We've been through more than the current events and still continued having free elections. People are crazy paranoid these days.

I think you have to better define the characteristics of fascism you mean.

Like I said, my model is based on WW2 fascist powers. Their characteristics are pretty well known.

 

[Thump553]

Outside of a few tinpot dictatorships (like North Korea, Burma nka Mayanmar, etc) and excluding Middle East countries, realistically there is no country that is remotely near fascism. I suppose Russia could become fascist under the right set of circumstances, but it would be cutting its own throat in the world economy to do so.

The fear of modern fascism in this forum is vastly overinflated, driven by the red hot rhetoric of groups like the teabaggers. It's like being terrified day and night of being attacked by a shark when you live in Des Moines.

 

[IronWing]

Antarctica..

I hope not. That would be the worst cold war ever.

 

[werepossum]

People really think the US is the most likely to succumb to fascism? Last time I checked we've been having elections for hundreds of years. We've been through more than the current events and still continued having free elections. People are crazy paranoid these days.

Like I said, my model is based on WW2 fascist powers. Their characteristics are pretty well known.

Then I have to agree with Thump and his list, with the notable additions of Iran and Syria; none of the nations explicitly listed in the poll are in any danger of becoming Fascist as that term was understood circa World War II, with the possible exception of Russia which has adopted many characteristics of fascism. In my opinion though Russia isn't a really good fit for fascism either, although it's debatable - remember there were pretty extreme differences between Fascist Spain, Italy, and Germany, the former having virtually no socialism and the latter having a considerable amount. Certainly America is under no such threat in the foreseeable future.

 

[SammyJr]

People really think the US is the most likely to succumb to fascism? Last time I checked we've been having elections for hundreds of years. We've been through more than the current events and still continued having free elections. People are crazy paranoid these days.

And how's that been working out for us? The last 30 years have been basically owned by Big Business and the top 0.1%. Look what "super-liberal" Obama has done... corporate welfare, tax cuts for the wealthy, etc.

 

[halik]

Let's use WW2 Germany or Japan as examples of fascist states: Authoritarian and hyper-nationalist countries that attack their neighbors and attack minorities in their territories.

I believe China has the biggest chance. They are already nationalist. We know that the communism thing is just lip-service. They are already authoritarian. They don't really tolerate their minorities well and religious minorities are persecuted. The only thing they don't do is attack their neighbors. Although I don't think they will necessarily go that route, I think they are at the greatest risk. You?

(I'm leaving out Islamic countries because in many ways they already satisfy the requirements.)

Venezuela.

 

[Anarchist420]

Adolf Hitler was mixed on social issues (nationalism on the right, pro-abortion and pro-science/evolution on the left) and he was an economic leftist. Obama is an economic fascist (corporatist/socialist) and social fascist (war hawk), so I'd say the U.S. is already there.

Fascism is also not far right on the nolan chart.

 

[Munky]

People really think the US is the most likely to succumb to fascism? Last time I checked we've been having elections for hundreds of years. We've been through more than the current events and still continued having free elections. People are crazy paranoid these days.



Like I said, my model is based on WW2 fascist powers. Their characteristics are pretty well known.

Pre-WW2 Germany used to have elections too. And the fact that we have elections is of little consolation when our government continues its power-grabbing, freedom-robbing, bank-fellating policies, regardless of which turd holds the office.