In an article which appeared in the November 2008 issue of The CCPA Monitor, Laurence W. Britt, an American political scientist, writes that "Sixty-three years after the fall of Nazi Germany, fascism is far from dead. Contrary to the cliché that people and nations learn from history, we often fail to do so."

I believe that this is so because, in many cases, history is taught from the viewpoint that existed at the time of the event, the "conventional wisdom". If the real truth prevailed, I do believe a significant number of people would learn from history, and therefore would influence governments in the way they react to current events.

In Britt's article, entitled Study of Past Fascist Regimes, he lists 13 characteristics that are common to the fascist model in acquiring, expanding, and maintaining their power. Here they are:

1. Strong expressions of nationalism
2. Disdain for human rights
3. Identifying "enemies" as a unifying tactic
4. The supremacy of the military
5. Rampant sexism
6. A supportive mass media
7. Obsession with national security
8. Religion and the ruling elite closely linked
9. Promotion and protection of corporations
10. Suppression of labour
11. Suppression of intellectuals and the arts
12. Obsession with crime and punishment
13. Rampant cronyism and corruption

Would you say some of these characteristics exist today in some countries? Unfortunately, I think they do. Britt expands on these elements in his article.