Y’all know that I can’t stand him…

so why not compare his political actions to 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism?

Here goes nothing!
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
An example, last year before Harper prorogued gov’t the first time, he made a big fuss that the leaders from the other parties did not have a Canadian flag behind them during a press conference (he was wrong, it was there).
A current talking point for CRAPpers is that you do not support the troops if you want an investigation into the Afghan detainee scandal.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society… It is in fact totalitarianism. I find this is very scary stuff. - Stephen Harper
He has also banned certain words from being used in the Foreign Affairs dept. Examples include: child soldier,
human security, international humanitarian law.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
He’s known to try and make the other parties fight each other in order to prevail. If you watch Question Period everyone is their enemy. He’s big on fighting other countries and at using fear to remain in power. Last year, he used the concept of “do you want separatists running this country?” when talk of a coalition was on the table. He turned ROC against Quebec.

4. Supremacy of the Military
I believe he has put more money towards the military than any other (recent) PM. He wanted us to fight in Iraq just because the US was. Case in point: “I don’t know all the facts o-n Iraq, but I think we should work closely with the Americans.” Harper

5. Rampant Sexism
This is harder to prove BUT he does use women as tokens. He is against abortion and has cut funding to women’s programs. He has called woman’s rights groups “left wing fringe groups”. He is against a National ChildCare program. I believe REAL women also are a group he listens to. Scary.

6. Controlled Mass Media
Rarely gives interviews to the media. During press conferences only allows certain questions asked. Controls what the press can ask him during Q/A (if he even does them). Speaks more on the US news channels than he does to Canadian ones.

7. Obsession with National Security
Definitely uses fear to keep people in line. The airport body scanners were ordered before this current Xmas day attempted attack. He claims there have been ‘terrorist talk’ as of late but it’s hard to tell if it’s true or not. It could just be their way of making it look like they are working.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
He doesn’t really do this but he has been quoted (I can’t find the quote) saying something about God is the only to judge him. He is also against same sex marriage and abortion.

9. Corporate Power is Protected
Tax cuts for his buddies while the economy tanks and we need big corporations to pay more taxes to help us. He supports big business.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed
He would love nothing more than to get rid of unions so that his buddies can screw over their employees.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Let us see, he cut funding to the arts and then recently decided to sing some Beatles song at a NAC gala. He claims that ordinary people don’t care about the arts and yet his wife is an Honourary Gala Chair for the NAC. Just recently one of his cabinet minister, Tony Clement had this to say about intellectuals:

“I know it’s a big issue with the Ottawa media elite and some of the elites in our country, but I got to tell you if reaction in my constituency is any indication, I’ve had maybe three dozen emails,” he said…”It may not be what the chattering classes want, but we’re not here to govern on behalf of the chattering classes,” he said.

Last but not least, the Conservatives like to pretend that Dion and Ignatieff are out of touch with Canadians because they are academics. That’s one of their fall back tools. They see it as, how can an academic understand Canadians? We’re real Canadians, we understand the people because we go to Tim Horton’s. So they play up academia as a bad thing in order to look better. If I’m not mistaken, the Cons have the least amount MPs who have graduated from University/College.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Oh yes, lots of crime bills were going to be passed but have now died on the table due to the prorogation. The Cons like to say that they are tough on crime, unlike those “dirty socialists”. But the fact is, their bills do nothing and are more talk. When they do have something in it, it’s about taking away the freedom of the normal citizen who has a joint on them, instead of getting to the root of the problem.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Senate Reform… where did that go Stevie? Instead he appoints his friends to the open Senate positions because he knows they will do what he says. The same works for who he puts into Cabinet (although his picking are slim!)

14. Fraudulent Elections
He has not done this… yet. But he has broken his own election law in order to call an election when he wanted it, claiming that the other parties wouldn’t work with him (not true, no one but him wanted an election in fall 2008).

So there you have it. His actions/words fit the characteristics, maybe not to a T but they fit nonetheless.