I'm no leftist, but to me one of the distinguishing characteristics of fascism is the subordination of the individual to the group or institution.
True, this is one of its characteristics - and of socialism (Marxian and other schools) National Socialism, communism, Fabianism, and, in less intensified form, democratic socialism. Even the EU, in incipient form, contains this characteristic.
It is only to say, then, that fascism, as a sect or idiosyncratic manifestation of the Left, is simply displaying one of the characteristic traits of all authoritarian/totalitarian ideologies of the Left.
In that respect, fascism is indistinguishable from Stalinism and other forms of authoritarian government.
True.
Dress and grooming are used as symbols of belonging in fascism and Stalinism, etc., as membership in the institution becomes one's identity rather than one's individuality.
True.
Without meaning to offend I believe this is also what is going on in Mormonism.
Wrong.
Clearly the individual is subordinate to the institution,
Silly, to anyone who actually understands both the doctrine and culture of the Church. The most important thing in the gospel is the individual and the family. The Church exists at all only for one purpose: to exalt individuals and families. The institutional Church is
utterly subordinate to this purpose. The standards of dress, modesty, grooming, as with chastity and the word of wisdom, and transmitted through the church to its members, who are
completely free to accept or deny them at will.At the same time, the Church is the authorized, divinely appointed vehicle through which these purposes are carried through and manifest to human beings on earth, but the institution exists only for the exaltation of the individual and the family, not for itself (as with most secular institutions). One is free to enter the church, and free to exit. The standards come from Jesus Christ, and if this is a problem, then there is a way to negotiate that problem. If one is not willing to undergo those disciplines, then one may choose to remain a critic and gadfly relative to those standards, and lose the blessings of obedience to them.
and one's value and identity come from membership and participation in the institution.
Utterly non-doctrinal and alien to LDS culture. One's value comes from being a literal son or daughter of our Father in Heaven. My identity is closely linked with my membership in the Church, but so what. The problem here, Bob, is that by your logic, virtually any sense of identity or personal subordination to something larger than oneself and one's own unique sense of self could be shoveled into the class "fascist." when its suits you.
The uniform is different but serves the same purpose.
It does nothing of the kind. No two purposes, indeed, could be farther apart.
Does this mean I believe Mormons are evil or want to persecute their enemies? No, of course not. But there is clearly a strong authoritarian streak in the church that has some obvious parallels to authoritarianism/fascism and I think that's what Kish was referring to.
And now you have lost whatever intellectual credibility you may have gained somewhere in this thread.
Ciao.