"All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke
fascism.
1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Source: Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fascism (accessed: October 18, 2007).
One of the hallmarks of an oppressive regime are blatant attempts to suppress or otherwise intimidate the opposition into compliance or silence (aka "implicit compliance"). There's a new story up on Think Progress today talking about how one of the witnesses in Congressional hearings on immigration - whose family has been working in coordination with Immigrations - was raided with her family shortly after testifying. Coincidence? I doubt it. Check it out here:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/10/18/tam-tran/
