Stop supporting Fascism:
Over 40 Ways Putin’s Russia is Alarmingly Reminiscent of 1930s Nazi Germany
BY INFOAGESTRATEGY ON DECEMBER 28, 2014
Various parallels between Vladimir Putin’s Russia and Fascist Germany in the 1930s.
The Leader
Political power consolidated in hands of one authoritarian figure
One powerful leader surrounded by a core group of lesser, key cronies
Support for The Leader from industrialists / oligarchs
Leader is unwilling to cede power/leave office
Leader harbors enormous resentment towards the West
Cult of the leader
Indoctrinated youth movement devoted to The Leader personally, and is used to attack regime’s “enemies”
The Plan
Exploitation of democratic structures to establish and legitimize authoritarian rule
Manipulation of electoral process to ensure desired outcomes
Rubber-stamp parliament
Façade/trappings of democracy without actual substance, checks & balances
The Legal & Judicial Systems
Law enforcement used to suppress political dissent
Judiciary subverted to serve as regime’s politicized instrument
Punitive use of “psychiatric treatment”
Expropriation of property and trumped-up criminal charges against regime opponents / dissenters
Domestic Political Environment
Persecution and arrest of potential political opponents
Marginalization of political parties (other than the one personally linked to The Leader)
Exploitation of claimed domestic security threat to justify increase security service power
Growth in security services’ powers, authorities and role
Emigration out of the country (political dissenters “voting with their feet”, brain drain)
News Media & Propaganda
Long-term campaign to achieve absolute regime control over mainstream news media
Suppression of independent news media
Persecution (and worse) of journalists
Heavy government investment in propaganda; “Big Lie” approach & dissemination of outright fabrications
Use of propaganda to brainwash, and ensure support of, domestic population
Recurring Themes
Claimed moral superiority over decadent West
Struggles against West described in stark, existentialist terms
Xenophobic nationalism and claims of foreign “threats”, encirclement
Revisionist history
Revanchism
Irredentism
Foreign Policy
Stated need to protect ethnic, linguistic “brothers” residing abroad used to justify interference in neighbor’s internal affairs, invasion and annexation of territory
Threats and belligerence towards neighboring countries
Use of military force to achieve foreign policy objectives
Annexation of foreign territory and attempt to legitimize annexation via rigged plebiscite
Military occupation of sovereign states’ territory
Social Policy
Reproductive policies: State campaign, programs to increase fertility and birth rate
Campaign against foreign words “polluting” the language
Persecution of homosexuals
Economy
Substantial increase in military expenditures (especially compared to amount invested in health care and social services)
Unsustainable, imbalanced economic system (RUS overreliance on selling natural resources)