The Conservative Party

[hilts]

I would suggest that we are nearly there

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1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
   Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays. - Enough said this is prevalent everywhere and the Governments instructions that the flag MUST be flown over every Government building reinforces this
   
   
2. Disdain for - the Recognition of Human Rights
   Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc. - Tory party manifesto clearly outlines their plan to rewrite the Human Rights Act of 1998 and Rees Mogg recently said that 'far too many rights were given away in the 90's - 2000s.
3. 
   
4. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
   The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.- Tories have been creating these for years aided by the press.
   
   
5. Supremacy of the Military
   Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. - Despite years of austerity and not paying our health service staff / disabled / carers etc a living wage the Government are about to spaff billions on renewing Trident and increasing our warhead stock (despite being in breach of the Nuclear Proliferation treaty that we have signed.)
   
   
6. Rampant Sexism
   The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy. - Look no further than Rees Mogg / Marc Francois and Johnson himself.
   
   
7. Controlled Mass Media
   Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common. - As outlined earlier we all know the papers that 'support' the Tories, and the recent appointment to the head of the BBC and the cancellation of some 'left wing' comedy shows should give you cause for concern.
   
   
8. Obsession with National Security
   Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
   
   
9. Religion and Government are Intertwined
   Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
   
   
10. Corporate Power is Protected
    The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite. - Tories have been doing this for years.
    
    
11. Labor Power is Suppressed
    Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed . - This began with Thatcher and union bashing and restriction of their powers is still something the Tories and right wing are focused on . Zero hours contracts are also a good example.
    
    
12. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
    Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts. - The Government response to the Arts during the pandemic is evidence of this as is their failure to negotiate a special travel arrangement for touring bands and groups during the Brexit negotiation.
    
    
13. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
    Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations. - See the latest Police and Crime Bill
    
    
14. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
    Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders. - Im not even going to give any examples of this. (theres too many and life is too short)
    
    
15. Fraudulent Elections
    Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections. - A large part of the Tory manifesto is dedicated to the actions that they will take to suppress the vote from certain parts of the electorate from requiring photographic evidence to vote , continuing to deny 16 -18 years the vote but allowing people who live abroad the right to vote despite the fact that they haven't lived or paid taxes in the UK for the last 15 years, to redrawing the constituency boundaries. With regards to the smear campaigns you only have to look at the campaign against Corbyn for evidence of that.

So, I would argue that we are nearly there with only points 8 and 9 to be completed. Although the recent pandemic laws could be a practice run for point 8.

When facism comes it will be wrapped in a flag and carrying a bible - Sinclair Lewis

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

“If there is a idiot in power; it is because those who elected him are well represented.”​

― Mahathma Gandhi

 

[dave_blue12]

Control of the media ? In any other time this is a resigning issue but now it's ignored by most of the media, including our state broadcaster.

 

[Ifwecouldjust.......]

I support the flag, I am not denigrating it, i am denigrating how it is used.

I am not against the political leaders standing in front of a flag making speeches from a rostrum to the nation, i just think it is beyond hilarious that MPs speaking over the internet happen to have a flag behind them in their living room.

How many people on here happen to have a Union flag or any flag for that matter hanging in their living room. Do you have one?

It is the conscious effort to make sure that a flag is in view whilst speaking over the internet that smacks of ridiculousness. It is that it is making the use of a flag that is owned by all the people of the nation that smacks of the sort of divisive symbolism that is associated with Dictatorships. They are attempting to claim the flag as there own and by doing so it is divisive. It is a national symbol, it is not the symbol of a political party.

Its also the move to make the flag flying mandatory that makes me uneasy. In the past the flying of the flag other than on the ''official'' 19 days was left to choice. Now it's not.

 

[meltonblue]

''How and why the flag is used'' is an interpretation by the left to denigrate it. The point of these pics is to prove that the overwhelming majority of the world's populace support and display their country's flag, if you don't think
or believe that, go to France, the US, Spain, Japan, China, Italy, in fact anywhere on earth. The leaders of these countries regularly sit, or stand when making speeches with their country's emblems around them, we are no different.
The sneering at the flag, always accompanied by disparaging comments about its supporters doesn't go unnoticed by the Brits, all those involved in it will then look open jawed at the exit polls at elections, and fail to understand why they're once again, rejected. Nothing is learned however, and the rage and frustration increases in volume, it's wonderful looking at it all on here, to be honest, my amazement is that so called intelligent individuals cannot see the wood for the trees. Starmer, although being completely disingenuous, has at least tried to stymie this Corbynista worldview, but unfortunately for him, and his party, the public isn't buying it, Labour are now even more behind than before, Johnson has actually increased his popularity.
At some point mate, if you want a labour administration a massive change in outlook is required, the party was never like this in its inception.

Depends how much he wants to try and chase the vote really.

It’s like most subjects at the mo, there’s a shedload of people in the middle that won’t mind the use of the flag, have no issue with it flying on government buildings but find the use of it inside by every MP on their briefings disingenuous that’ll all be thinking “why the fuck is everyone talking so much about a flag?”

 

[Ancient Citizen]

Depends how much he wants to try and chase the vote really.

It’s like most subjects at the mo, there’s a shedload of people in the middle that won’t mind the use of the flag, have no issue with it flying on government buildings but find the use of it inside by every MP on their briefings disingenuous that’ll all be thinking “why the fuck is everyone talking so much about a flag?”

Well if he doesn't want to chase the vote he may as well jack it all in.
In fact, with the support he's getting at present he may as well do that anyway.

 

[meltonblue]

Well if he doesn't want to chase the vote he may as well jack it all in.
In fact, with the support he's getting at present he may as well do that anyway.

I meant more if he chases it too much, he risks losing other areas of his core vote and won’t progress overall anyway.

 

[mat]

BBC are fucking hilarious...
5 minutes section on News 24 about the fear of the rise of nationalism in Scotland.

This is a projection exercise.

Not a sausage about our PM paying his mistress with taxpayers money for private pole dancers....

 

[The perfect fumble]

or believe that, go to France, the US, Spain, Japan, China, Italy, in fact anywhere on earth. The leaders of these countries regularly sit, or stand when making speeches with their country's emblems around them, we are no different.

But we are.

Conspicuous displays of the flag was never our thing and that applied regardless of who was PM, Churchill, Thatcher, Attlee or Wilson. We were regarded by other countries as a nation at ease with itself, we did not need to raise the flag at schools or swear allegiance, we did not play the national anthem at every sporting event, we did not have a military parade through the capital every year.

Our love of country was understated, taken as given, not requiring constant gaudy displays of patriotism, we left that to others, in fact, we considered constant flag waving something wonky republics did, tin pot countries and dangerous despots up to no good.

It was part of British exceptionalism, we're British, we do things differently here.

The sneering at the flag, always accompanied by disparaging comments about its supporters doesn't go unnoticed by the Brits, all those involved in it will then look open jawed at the exit polls at elections, and fail to understand why they're once again, rejected. Nothing is learned however, and the rage and frustration increases in volume, it's wonderful looking at it all on here, to be honest, my amazement is that so called intelligent individuals cannot see the wood for the trees.

The sneering taking place has nothing to do with the flag and everything to do with how it is being exploited. The Tories have always sought to monopolise patriotism and love of country, they love wrapping themselves in the flag and they stole the national anthem for their conference a long time ago.

It is Tories like you that have done the greatest disservice to these symbols. By declaring they belong to you, that they are indelibly linked to you and people like you and your values.

You have taken something that should unify us and made it your own. You've not exactly burned the flag you've wiped your arse with it and then wonder why the rest of us seem reluctant to wrap ourselves in it.

 

[mat]

But we are.

Conspicuous displays of the flag was never our thing and that applied regardless of who was PM, Churchill, Thatcher, Attlee or Wilson. We were regarded by other countries as a nation at ease with itself, we did not need to raise the flag at schools or swear allegiance, we did not play the national anthem at every sporting event, we did not have a military parade through the capital every year.

Our love of country was understated, taken as given, not requiring constant gaudy displays of patriotism, we left that to others, in fact, we considered constant flag waving something wonky republics did, tin pot countries and dangerous despots up to no good.

It was part of British exceptionalism, we're British, we do things differently here.



Whatever sneering that is taking place has nothing to do with the flag and everything to do with how it is being exploited. The Tories have always sought to monopolise patriotism and love of country, they love wrapping themselves in the flag and they stole the national anthem for their conference a long time ago.

It is Tories like you that have done the greatest disservice to these symbols. By declaring they belong to you, that they are indelibly linked to you and people like you and your values.

You have taken something that should unify us and made it your own. You've not exactly burned the flag you've wiped your arse with it and then wonder why the rest of us seem reluctant to wrap ourselves in it.

Couldn't have put it better myself.