Quote:
Originally Posted by alexamenos
Orwell: What is Fascism?
I think it's a bit much to say that fascism is indefinable, but I agree with Orwell that it's used to much as a swear word and not enough as a description of a political/economic mindset.
There is italian fascist manifesto, after-all....and things like universal suffrage, universal public education, minimum wages, etc., etc... were all planks in the fascist platform.
Anyhoo, I think fascism is a distinct variant of socialism, but instead of a centrally planned society based upon the state ownership of property, it's a centrally planned economy based upon state ownership of producers. So, fascists say, "we're not socialists because we don't agitate for ownership of your property."
Which is true, but no matter what I do with my property, I've got to send about one-third of the benefit to the state anyway. In this way, fascism is vastly superior to socialism because I still retain some vested interest in maintaining the means of production. Tho fascism is cruel and illiberal it is less idiotic than socialism. |
the planks that you refer to were objectives sought by many varied political movements well over a century before fascism was conceived. would you classify benjamin franklin as an advocate of fascism? not in the least.
the economic objectives of fascism were but one component of its ideals. looking at the definition by mussolini, who gave fascism its name, shows the political movement incorporated a military ideal as well as a fervent nationalistic nature.
1932 mussolini piece
your simplistic definition of "state ownership of producers" does not correctly define the fascist model, which is more pervasive than what you state. fascism is the state control of the economy, centrally planned and controlled. in affect it is state control of production and consumption, all with a targeted goal of increasing the power of the state, and the expansion of that state apparatus through conquest. At its heart is a domination of other societies/people and subjugation of those to the fascist machine.
any political theory that has at its core expansionism through conquest is certainly a regression of our world's ability to value individual rights. while property rights are a fundamental right that should be protected, it is certainly not a superior right to liberty, which fascism is in direct opposition.
that is not the case with the classic theory of socialism, consequently fascism is a much more abhorrent philosophy.