Rev. Lang's article is spot on. If you can't see the signs yourself, consider it an early warning.

Granted, Naziism under Hitler came on rather quickly, but Hitler had a model to work from (although from Hitler's assuming power in 1933 to Kristallhacht, which occurred in 1938, is five years—not all that quick). There were indeed people in Germany who were aware of what Hitler intended and tried to sound a warning, but too many others didn't take any of it seriously. (Hello!!) If one wishes to argue these points, in the spirit of thinking that it's a good idea to know what one is talking about, one would do well to read up a bit on how Naziism developed in Germany HERE. Hitler's model was Benito Mussolini, and as you will note, in Italy, Fascism took a bit longer to establish.

Mussolini adopted the fasces as both the symbol and the basis for the word "Fascism." The fasces is a bundle of sticks tied around an axe. As Mussolini described it, the sticks represent the corporations and the axe represents the power of government. The two act as one.

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power"
                                                                                                                                 —Benito Mussolini

And who should know better that the man who invented it?

Three points:

1) Consider the implications of religion, particularly a religion that feels it has both the duty and the right to force its beliefs upon others, joining those sticks surrounding the axe. When religions of this nature are backed by secular power, or when the lines between such religions and government become blurred . . . well, history is full of examples (here's one and here's another) of what can happen. The fact that Bush wants to legislate morals by passing a Constitutional Amendment defining marriage is a clear symptom of this kind of thinking;

2) You don't have to wear a uniform to be a Fascist. A dark suit with a red "power tie" will do just as well; and

3) By the time it's obvious to a large enough percentage of a country's citizenry that the government has morphed into Fascism, it will be too late. The best time to put out a fire is when you first smell smoke and see the first flames, not when the house is fully engulfed.

Don Firth