# How to create a fascist military state in a “democracy” without anyone catching on. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 1, 2005, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-create-a-fascist-military-state-in-a-democracy-without-anyone-catching-on/324389 "2005-10-01T23:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![zeeny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zeeny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zeeny)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-create-a-fascist-military-state-in-a-democracy-without-anyone-catching-on/324389/61 "2005-10-05T19:55:01Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Something such as an authoritarian hierarchical government with strict socioeconomic control. Heavy censorship and a large police presence would also be likely. How do you see fascism? > > The same way I envision a successful communism-hypothetically. The people decide they want a strong, rigid central government with a strong dictator leading it and favor censorship and police omnipresence to keep them feeling safe. You can envision a _peaceful_ fascism and a _successful_ communism? That’s a vivid imagination. 🙂 I don’t really disagree with your description of a fascist government, but the ability to see a fascist government coming is the main issue in this thread. Could you be more specific on that part of it? I see that as the trickier point. I’ve just read _The Anatomy of Fascism_ by Paxton for a class I’m taking. My opinions aren’t set in cement yet, so I’m not trying to game you here - I’m really interested in outside views. ---
**Author:** ![whole\_bean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/96bed5/32.png) [@whole\_bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whole_bean)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-create-a-fascist-military-state-in-a-democracy-without-anyone-catching-on/324389/62 "2005-10-06T19:49:43Z")
> [@Osip](#): > > Fascist state in a democracy? > > We are a democracy now? Who’s damn fault is that? How (sic) killed the republic? . . > > Osip You do understand that the terms democracy and republic as used to describe a government are not mutually exclusive? And that a governement can be a democracy, but not be a “pure” or “straight” democracy? And that the electorate of today’s republic is much more inclusive than that of 216 years ago? And that with the ratification of the 17th Amendment to the United States Consitution . . . oh never mind. > [@fushj00mang](#): > > As a person who’s (sic) father is a good friend of Bill Wilson, you can eat my dick. And as a person whose father ate Dick, have a drink. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-create-a-fascist-military-state-in-a-democracy-without-anyone-catching-on/324389/63 "2005-10-06T22:40:37Z")
> [@zeeny](#): > > I don’t really disagree with your description of a fascist government, but the ability to see a fascist government coming is the main issue in this thread. Could you be more specific on that part of it? I see that as the trickier point. Well, I mean to say that it is possible that you could see a ‘fascism coming’, but it’s not a certainty. In the case of Silent Cal gradually changing things, I’m sure at some point it becomes noticable over the course of history that things are changing however if say Bush were to declair marshal law and then swiftly rewrite the constitution if could be over before we had a chance to really see it. As far as our current government is concerned, I can’t pay serious attention to people who call it a fascism. As long as the political process is as open and free as it is, we are pretty safe. The Patriot act certainly is debatable as to it’s appropriateness in our government, but it alone does not a fascism make. ---
**Author:** ![Hazel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Hazel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazel)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-create-a-fascist-military-state-in-a-democracy-without-anyone-catching-on/324389/64 "2005-10-07T19:48:10Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > If you’ve ever spent a few hours in one of the nation’s several hundred treatment facilities that treat chronic abusers of meth, crack, powder cocaine, and/or heroin, it’s hard to agree with your “victimless” assertion. So, who are they harming other than themselves? If we didn’t waste so many of our criminal justice resources on people who are harming no one but themsleves, and sometimes not even themselves (marijuana), we would be better able to deal with real crime – that is, actions actions that harm others. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-create-a-fascist-military-state-in-a-democracy-without-anyone-catching-on/324389.md?page=3)