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Hi there. Once again, I am going to attempt to define another term that is often misused as a pejorative against things that people don't like. Not too long ago, I had a conversation with a friend in which he said that former USA president Donald Trump is a "Fascist". However, when I asked him to explain what a fascist is, he told me to look it up! Hopefully this post will clear up some misconceptions and define some of the general characteristics of Fascism.
DISCLAIMER: In order to properly describe what Fascism is, I will have to use language that is also ambiguous, I will try to avoid doing this as much as possible.
DISCLAIMER 2: I am attempting to be as unbiased as possible in this, let me know down below if any bias shows. I don't favor/like Fascism in any way shape or form, nor do I dislike it.
Fascism: Mussolini's Definition.
In 1932, Mussolini and Gentile wrote an entry for the Italian Encyclopedia describing what his view of Fascism is. Because Mussolini is one of the progenitors of Fascist ideology, most branches of Fascism share many commonalities with Mussolini's Fascism.
Therefore, I think it is most important to define Mussolini's Version of Fascism, as in my previous post I defined Karl Marx and Frederick Engel's version of Communism, as their version of it was also the progenitor of the majority of communist ideology.
Here is a link to Mussolini and Gentile's definition of Fascism from 1932:
In this definition, there are a few key takeaway that I will address below:
- Mussolini's Fascism clearly rejects the pursuit of perpetual peace, and supposits that war should be pursued by men as a means to not only individual glory, but for the glory of the state which they fight for.
- Mussolini's Fascists generally embrace the concept of duty to ones family, but also to the state. They also embrace the struggle of militaristic conquest in order to better the state. This idea can be seen in many Fascist societies, namely in Italy and Germany, especially from 1938-1945.
- Mussolini's Fascists generally believe that society should be ruled by an elite, as opposed to "rule by the people" commonly seen in representative democracies. Mussolini's definition states that, "Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a majority, can direct human society".
- Mussolini's definition of Fascism states that, "Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State.", asserting that all citizens of a state are subordinate to said state.
Aspects of Fascism in Practice:
Here I will go through some of the aspects of consequences that are not addressed in Mussolini's definition, and are instead seen in practice and in historical records.
IMPORTANT: I did not do a section like this for Communism because Communism is not just a political ideology, but also an Economic Framework, the ladder which has never been implemented in any nation as of yet. Fascism is solely a political ideology/movement, the aspects and policies of which have been implemented in societies to a sufficient extent for such societies to be considered Fascist.
- Fascist societies often have a dictatorial leader, who is either Authoritarian or Totalitarian in nature. (The difference between the 2 is that Authoritarian States/ Rulers often tolerate some degree of autonomy concerning institutions, corporations, and citizens, while Totalitarian States/ Rulers allow no autonomy to any of these).
Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state. Hitler merged the presidency and the chancellorship, granting himself a great degree of authority and effectively eliminating the system of checks and balances concerning the 2 branches of government. Nazi Germany also brutally suppressed political dissidents, some of which where sent to the infamous concentration camps.
- Fascist societies often exhibit Racial Supremacism, or the belief that ones race/ ethnicity is superior to others.
Imperial Japan was a Racial Supremacist State. For the Majority of WW2, the Japanese Press was extraordinarily racist towards those who where not Yamato Japanese, especially against Chinese and Americans. During Japan's industrialization and rise to great power status, China had failed to industrialize and modernize it's institution, leading to deep societal and political dysfunction. This descent into chaos was a primary cause for Japanese Anti-Chinese sentiment which was exacerbated by media framing.
- Militarism/Imperialism is prominent in many fascist societies. This is acknowledged in the definition above as well. Fascist ideologies tend to emphasize the importance of a strong military, while condemning pacifism as cowardly and describing it as an indication of decadence in a society. They also emphasize imperialism, which is the extension of a nations influence and power by conquering other lands/peoples.
Fascist Italy is a prime example of this. Before WW2, Italy sought to extend it's sphere of influence across the Mediterranean and into Africa. This led to their conquests of Libya, Albania, and eventually Abyssinia (Ethiopia + Eritrea, essentially). This can also be seen in their desire to conquer the Yugoslavian coast.
- Fascist societies tend to be ultranationalist, which is the prioritization of a nation and it's people above all other nations, sometimes to detrimental effect to other nations.
Nazi Germany was ultranationalist. This can be seen in the numerous treaties that where broken by Hitler and his regime, even amongst allies. A few examples are the termination of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and the repeated violations of the treaty of Versailles via the annexation of the Sudetenland and of Austria.
Common Misconceptions About Fascism:
1: Fascism is a "Left-Leaning" ideology.
- People often think this because some Fascist societies have implemented socialist policies. however, while they may have done this, Fascist Ideology is fundamentally opposed to Socialism and especially to Communism. This is evident in the fascist belief in Capitalism as the "best" economic framework. See Mussolini's definition of Fascism above for more info on how Fascism is directly opposed to Communism.
2: Violence = Fascism.
- I'm not sure why people believe this, but I have talked to some people who do. While the violent suppression of political dissidents (and of certain ethnic groups in racial supremacist societies) is a part of Fascism, that does not mean that Violence in a society is indicative of Fascism. Stalin had political dissidents killed too. More often than not it is an indicator of an Authoritarian/Totalitarian society.
Might come back and edit this, please comment if I got anything wrong/ typos/ grammatical errors. For now I'm going to go shower and go to lunch with a friend.
Also let me know if any bias/ personal opinion slips out. Thanks guys, hope this is informative and you enjoy reading it.
DISCLAIMER: In order to properly describe what Fascism is, I will have to use language that is also ambiguous, I will try to avoid doing this as much as possible.
DISCLAIMER 2: I am attempting to be as unbiased as possible in this, let me know down below if any bias shows. I don't favor/like Fascism in any way shape or form, nor do I dislike it.
Fascism: Mussolini's Definition.
In 1932, Mussolini and Gentile wrote an entry for the Italian Encyclopedia describing what his view of Fascism is. Because Mussolini is one of the progenitors of Fascist ideology, most branches of Fascism share many commonalities with Mussolini's Fascism.
Therefore, I think it is most important to define Mussolini's Version of Fascism, as in my previous post I defined Karl Marx and Frederick Engel's version of Communism, as their version of it was also the progenitor of the majority of communist ideology.
Here is a link to Mussolini and Gentile's definition of Fascism from 1932:
In this definition, there are a few key takeaway that I will address below:
- Mussolini's Fascism clearly rejects the pursuit of perpetual peace, and supposits that war should be pursued by men as a means to not only individual glory, but for the glory of the state which they fight for.
- Mussolini's Fascists generally embrace the concept of duty to ones family, but also to the state. They also embrace the struggle of militaristic conquest in order to better the state. This idea can be seen in many Fascist societies, namely in Italy and Germany, especially from 1938-1945.
- Mussolini's Fascists generally believe that society should be ruled by an elite, as opposed to "rule by the people" commonly seen in representative democracies. Mussolini's definition states that, "Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a majority, can direct human society".
- Mussolini's definition of Fascism states that, "Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State.", asserting that all citizens of a state are subordinate to said state.
Aspects of Fascism in Practice:
Here I will go through some of the aspects of consequences that are not addressed in Mussolini's definition, and are instead seen in practice and in historical records.
IMPORTANT: I did not do a section like this for Communism because Communism is not just a political ideology, but also an Economic Framework, the ladder which has never been implemented in any nation as of yet. Fascism is solely a political ideology/movement, the aspects and policies of which have been implemented in societies to a sufficient extent for such societies to be considered Fascist.
- Fascist societies often have a dictatorial leader, who is either Authoritarian or Totalitarian in nature. (The difference between the 2 is that Authoritarian States/ Rulers often tolerate some degree of autonomy concerning institutions, corporations, and citizens, while Totalitarian States/ Rulers allow no autonomy to any of these).
Nazi Germany was a totalitarian state. Hitler merged the presidency and the chancellorship, granting himself a great degree of authority and effectively eliminating the system of checks and balances concerning the 2 branches of government. Nazi Germany also brutally suppressed political dissidents, some of which where sent to the infamous concentration camps.
- Fascist societies often exhibit Racial Supremacism, or the belief that ones race/ ethnicity is superior to others.
Imperial Japan was a Racial Supremacist State. For the Majority of WW2, the Japanese Press was extraordinarily racist towards those who where not Yamato Japanese, especially against Chinese and Americans. During Japan's industrialization and rise to great power status, China had failed to industrialize and modernize it's institution, leading to deep societal and political dysfunction. This descent into chaos was a primary cause for Japanese Anti-Chinese sentiment which was exacerbated by media framing.
- Militarism/Imperialism is prominent in many fascist societies. This is acknowledged in the definition above as well. Fascist ideologies tend to emphasize the importance of a strong military, while condemning pacifism as cowardly and describing it as an indication of decadence in a society. They also emphasize imperialism, which is the extension of a nations influence and power by conquering other lands/peoples.
Fascist Italy is a prime example of this. Before WW2, Italy sought to extend it's sphere of influence across the Mediterranean and into Africa. This led to their conquests of Libya, Albania, and eventually Abyssinia (Ethiopia + Eritrea, essentially). This can also be seen in their desire to conquer the Yugoslavian coast.
- Fascist societies tend to be ultranationalist, which is the prioritization of a nation and it's people above all other nations, sometimes to detrimental effect to other nations.
Nazi Germany was ultranationalist. This can be seen in the numerous treaties that where broken by Hitler and his regime, even amongst allies. A few examples are the termination of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and the repeated violations of the treaty of Versailles via the annexation of the Sudetenland and of Austria.
Common Misconceptions About Fascism:
1: Fascism is a "Left-Leaning" ideology.
- People often think this because some Fascist societies have implemented socialist policies. however, while they may have done this, Fascist Ideology is fundamentally opposed to Socialism and especially to Communism. This is evident in the fascist belief in Capitalism as the "best" economic framework. See Mussolini's definition of Fascism above for more info on how Fascism is directly opposed to Communism.
2: Violence = Fascism.
- I'm not sure why people believe this, but I have talked to some people who do. While the violent suppression of political dissidents (and of certain ethnic groups in racial supremacist societies) is a part of Fascism, that does not mean that Violence in a society is indicative of Fascism. Stalin had political dissidents killed too. More often than not it is an indicator of an Authoritarian/Totalitarian society.
Might come back and edit this, please comment if I got anything wrong/ typos/ grammatical errors. For now I'm going to go shower and go to lunch with a friend.
Also let me know if any bias/ personal opinion slips out. Thanks guys, hope this is informative and you enjoy reading it.
