Heather Cox Richardson offers a valuable précis of a series of pamphlets the US War Deprtment published in 1943 for for US Army personnel in the European theater of World War II. The series was entitled "Army Talks."
The pamphlets define fascism as “government by the few and for the few. The objective is seizure and control of the economic, political, social, and cultural life of the state.”
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heathercoxrichardson.substack.…
October 26, 2024
Beginning in 1943, the War Department published a series of pamphlets for U.S.Heather Cox Richardson (Letters from an American)
William Lindsey :toad:
in reply to William Lindsey :toad: • • •"“The basic principles of democracy stand in the way of their desires; hence—democracy must go! Anyone who is not a member of their inner gang has to do what he’s told. They permit no civil liberties, no equality before the law.' 'Fascism treats women as mere breeders. "Children, kitchen, and the church," was the Nazi slogan for women,' the pamphlet said."
#fascism #Trump #JDVance #Republicans #democracy #women
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William Lindsey :toad:
in reply to William Lindsey :toad: • • •The pamphlet warned Army members not to imagine that fascism could not come to the US. Americans had once laughed at Hitler as a funny little man with a mustache, and look at what happened.
"The War Department thought it was important for Americans to understand the tactics fascists would use to take power in the United States. They would try to gain power 'under the guise of
"super-patriotism" and "super-Americanism."' And they would use three techniques:"
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William Lindsey :toad:
in reply to William Lindsey :toad: • • •"First, they would pit religious, racial, and economic groups against one another to break down national unity. Part of that effort to divide and conquer would be a 'well-planned "hate campaign" against minority races, religions, and other groups.'
Second, they would deny any need for international cooperation, because that would fly in the face of their insistence that their supporters were better than everyone else."
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William Lindsey :toad:
in reply to William Lindsey :toad: • • •"'In place of international cooperation, the fascists seek to substitute a perverted sort of ultra-nationalism which tells their people that they are the only people in the world who count. With this goes hatred and suspicion toward the people of all other nations.'
Third, fascists would insist that 'the world has but two choices—either fascism or communism, and they label as ‘communists’ everyone who refuses to support them.'”
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William Lindsey :toad:
in reply to William Lindsey :toad: • • •"It is 'vitally important' to learn to spot native fascists, the government said, 'even though they adopt names and slogans with popular appeal, drape themselves with the American flag, and attempt to carry out their program in the name of the democracy they are trying to destroy.'”
To repeat: this warning was issued in 1943. After what happened in Europe in the 1930s. It was issued by the US War Department.
#fascism #Trump #JDVance #Republicans
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