Fascism Op-Ed
2/25/09
By definition, fascism is a system of government distinguished by centralizing authority, enforcing strict sociological and economic rules, and suppression of any opposition using all means necessary, even if that means physically or mentally harming people. We have seen examples of this throughout history: Nazi Germany, for example, centralized their government under Adolf Hitler and established the Aryan social norm, which was enforced with concentration camps, Jewish ghettos, and the overall decimation of Europe’s Jewish population. Italy also was known for having a period of fascism, with Benito Mussolini as a dictator and a strict police system created. Much of this happened 70 plus years ago, and many people think that fascism is a thing of the past. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there is a new fascist regime rising in Afghanistan, and it is the infamous Taliban. The Taliban is using their political power to enforce traditional Islamic rules restricting women’s rights. But Islamic culture is not so much the problem; after all, people are very protective over their religious beliefs. The issue at hand is that the Taliban is forcing women to sell themselves short in life, as they are limited to playing the role of the stay-at-home mothers of the world while men fill jobs. I looked up Afghanistan’s poverty statistics (www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2008/10/17/afghanistan-20-million-people-under-poverty-line.html),
and over a third of all people live in poverty. If women were able to work and go to school without being ridiculed or tortured or killed, we would most likely be looking at much more promising statistics. We have seen similar actions before; in other fascist regimes, as we discussed in class, women were promoted as homemakers and babymakers to further the development of the government and the ideals they try to bestow upon the people of their country. If we look at the definition of fascism, we can see that the Taliban fits the mold perfectly, and as their power increases, our war there will unfortunately increase as well.
While trying to write this op-ed, I was confused on facism vs. totalitarianism. Your op-ed cleared up my confusion and convinced me that the Taliban was fascist. You clearly displayed a definition and backed up your arguements well. This was a great piece and really convinced me in your favor.
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