Warning: This blog post contains a disturbing picture, related to the Holocaust.
It seems that people in most political movements will eventually denounce their political opponents as “Fascists” or “Nazis” (as I will describe later on in this post). At the very least, they sometimes compare their opponents to Nazis – sometimes accurately, sometimes inaccurately. Either way, though, they are right to denounce the Fascists and the Nazis, even if they do not always correctly identify who they are. (More on that later on.)
Hitler addressing the Reichstag, 1933
But what is fascism, and why exactly does it stink (and it definitely does)? What are the biggest problems with this system of government, and why should it be left on the “ash-heap of history” (to paraphrase a characterization of communism by someone else)?. That is what I will be discussing in this particular post. I will here give a brief overview of both the history and philosophy of fascism. In so doing, I will show why it cannot possibly bear the honest scrutiny of history. This will only be an introduction to this complex topic, which will touch on some of its major themes. Indeed, I have covered other aspects of this topic in some other blog posts (which I link to here). But I may nonetheless succeed in showing why fascism is an utter travesty, and why it should be discarded. I will also give my own take on it, with my own unique perspective.
Nazi book-burning in Berlin, May 1933 (which included some Jewish authors)
A brief definition of fascism, with some commentary on a few of its characteristics
But first, I should undertake to offer a brief definition of fascism. I should acknowledge that this word often means different things to different people. Furthermore, there is no real consensus on its meaning, even in these historical contexts. I’ve searched in a number of dictionaries, including the following definition by Merriam-Webster. This dictionary defines it as “a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition” (see source). But this seems more to define totalitarianism, which exists in communism as well as fascism. Thus, perhaps I should define the word “totalitarianism,” before I undertake to define “fascism” itself. The website of Princeton University defines totalitarianism as “the principle of complete and unrestricted power in government,” or “a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)” (see source). Fascism is thus a particular kind of totalitarianism. But, unlike communism, it involves collusion between government and business, and seeks to obtain a profit for one’s cronies. In this way, it is a form of capitalism – albeit one very different from free markets. This is why some classify it as a “right-wing” form of government (more on that debate later). It also involves the belief that the strong should be able to oppress the weak. Fascism is also known for severe institutional racism, especially in the Nazi brand of fascism. I offer this as my definition, to clarify what I mean by this term. I’m all right if others mean something different by the word, but this is what I mean by it.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Like Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the Nazis admired the Spartans and Machiavelli
Tyranny is as old as humanity itself. Nonetheless, fascism as we know it is still a comparatively recent development, associated mostly with the twentieth century. It has roots going back much earlier than this, though, in various movements and ideas. For example, the Nazis idealized the Ancient Spartans, who were known for their military discipline. Their great admiration for the Spartans was shared by the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, another totalitarian philosopher (as I show here). I have long found this idealization of the Spartans to be a bit hard to understand, given the terrible track record of their society. (More about that here.) Like all Greeks, the Spartans were racist against anyone who was not Greek, just as the Nazis were racist against anyone whom they deemed a “non-Aryan.” But the Nazi philosophy also has many other roots, including in the prior totalitarian philosophies of others. For example, to a certain extent, the Nazis and Italian Fascists both liked Niccolò Machiavelli – another thing that these groups shared with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. But the Nazis and Italian Fascists especially liked Friedrich Nietzsche, a nineteenth-century German philosopher.
Friedrich Nietzsche, whom the Nazis cited as one of their philosophical inspirations
They liked Friedrich Nietzsche even more, especially his Antisemitism and “master-slave morality”
Friedrich Nietzsche hated all religions, especially Christianity and Judaism. He once famously proclaimed that “God is dead,” leading to the humorous bumper sticker quoting God as saying that Nietzsche is dead. Nietzsche is indeed dead now, since he died in the year 1900. But he believed that the strong had the right to oppress the weak – his “master-slave morality,” as it is sometimes called. Most disturbingly, he basically rejected all notions of ethics. One of his works was even entitled “Beyond Good and Evil” – a disturbing title. And, as mentioned earlier, he hated Judaism and the Jews. In fairness to Nietzsche, the roots of Antisemitism go back long before him, and are too numerous to discuss here. They indeed go back to antiquity. Antisemitism was particularly prominent in the Middle Ages, and in other pogroms (or organized massacres) against the Jews. Indeed, it would be an overstatement to say that Friedrich Nietzsche “caused” their Antisemitism, or expansionist imperialism. Nonetheless, in the nineteenth century, he really did give it the appearance of a theoretical “justification.” His support for Antisemitism and imperialism was much admired by the Nazis, who cited him as one of their philosophical inspirations. Ironically, the Nazis actually liked their future enemies the British at first, whom they deemed to be fellow “Aryans” (and even “Germanic peoples,” given that English was a Germanic language). They were somewhat more suspicious of the Americans, because they saw the United States as “corrupted” by Black and Jewish elements – obviously an erroneous view. The Nazis even disliked jazz (possibly the greatest music ever invented), because they were suspicious of its Black and Jewish origins. But if they were suspicious of the Americans, they hated the Slavic peoples, in places like Poland and Soviet Russia. This is why they committed such terrible war crimes in Poland, and in their later campaigns in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Adolf Hitler
The word “Nazi” comes from “National Socialism,” with some comments on Mussolini
Mussolini’s father was a socialist – and so, initially, was Mussolini himself. Even the word “Nazi” is an abbreviation of the German word “Nationalsozialismus” – which means “National Socialism.” But the Nazis hated communism, which was one of the largest parties in Germany after the First World War. Thus, we are right to distinguish the Nazis from these left-wing groups, although there is ongoing controversy about whether to classify them as “right-wing” extremists. They certainly were extremists, of one kind or another, but one doesn’t know whether to classify them as “right-wing” extremists. Regardless of the classification, though, Benito Mussolini later became a fascist. Incidentally, the Italian word “fascismo” is derived from “fascio,” meaning “bundle of sticks.” The symbolism was meant to suggest “strength through unity” – obviously, a nonsensical piece of fascist propaganda. But back to Mussolini. Benito Mussolini actually rose by telling people what they wanted to hear – like many another politician, before and since. People tend to know at least something about Hitler, but they tend to know very little about Mussolini. Thus, it might help to clarify some of the similarities between Mussolini and Hitler. That is, they both were fascists – and Hitler modeled himself, to a large degree, on Il Duce (the official title of Mussolini). Il Duce (Mussolini) had a number of imperialist ambitions, especially in Africa. (More about that here.) But in the Italian colony in Libya, his troops committed the Libyan genocide – both during and after the Senussi War there. This is somewhat lesser-known than the particularly infamous Holocaust, but it was nonetheless a genocide, which deserves to be condemned. And Mussolini had ambitions in many other places, including a few of the Mediterranean islands. (More about that here.) But Mussolini’s ambitions would eventually be tested in Spain, in the Spanish Civil War.
Benito Mussolini
Fascist involvement in the Spanish Civil War, a dress rehearsal for World War II
In the Spanish Civil War, there were two main sides: the Nationalists and the Republicans. As Wikipedia puts it, “[The] Republicans were loyal to the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic, and consisted of various socialist, communist, separatist, anarchist, and republican parties, some of which had opposed the government in the pre-war period.[footnote] The opposing Nationalists were an alliance of Falangists” (a Spanish group somewhat akin to the fascists, I might add), along with “monarchists, conservatives, and traditionalists led by a military junta among whom General Francisco Franco quickly achieved a preponderant role.” (see source) I might add that the Republicans were supported by the communist Soviet Union – and, to a lesser degree, by distant Mexico. The Nationalists were supported by a few foreign nations, including nearby Portugal. To some extent, Hitler’s Nazi Germany also militarily supported the Nationalist side of the war. But the Nationalists’ biggest patron, as it turns out, was Mussolini’s Italy – by a percentage of the Italian population, at least. As Wikipedia notes elsewhere, “Italy provided the Nationalists with 660 planes, 150 tanks, 800 artillery pieces, 10,000 machine guns, and 240,000 rifles. The Italian CTV would, at its peak, supply the Nationalists with 70,000 men and played a decisive role in the conflict” (see source). There are controversies about the exact numbers involved here, but these estimates seem to me to be fairly accurate. All in all, the Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936 to 1939 – three years in all. It has even been described as a dress rehearsal for World War II, and this likewise seems to me to be accurate. In particular, it may have been a dress rehearsal for the Russian front, where fascism and communism would soon be clashing again.
Italian troops manning a 10 cm howitzer at Guadalajara, Spain – Spanish Civil War, 1937
Ethnic Germans in the Sudetenland greet German soldiers with the Nazi salute, 1938
Nazism (and other fascism) in World War II itself, with the infamous Holocaust
The 1935 Italian war in Ethiopia also played a role in the build-up to World War II. So did the 1939 Italian invasion of Albania. But there was also a great deal of German expansionism in Europe – a topic that I have described elsewhere. I have also described everyday life in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in two other blog posts (here and here, respectively). Thus, I will refrain from doing these parts of the story (or the larger war) here. But, as you probably know, there was the infamous Holocaust in Nazi Germany, and in many areas controlled by it. 10 million people died in the Holocaust, including 6 million Jews. A great many of them died in the death camps, designed specifically for mass murder. It would be beyond the scope of this blog post to attempt to describe the Holocaust in detail here, since I have instead done so in another blog post. (Here, if you’re interested.) Let me just note here that two-thirds of the Jews of Europe were murdered in the Holocaust. And, contrary to what Whoopi Goldberg might tell you, the Holocaust was indeed about race. People were targeted because they were Jewish, and their “Jewish-ness” was viewed as a race. Thus, the Holocaust was clearly a racist act, and Antisemitism is clearly racism. Others were also killed in the Holocaust – such as Blacks, Poles, and the Romani people. But the Jews were the most prominent victims of this staggering genocide. Some today have denied that the Holocaust even happened – such as a former president of Muslim Iran. I have debunked the Holocaust deniers elsewhere, so I will refrain from doing so here. Thus, let me just note that the Holocaust really happened, and that the evidence for its reality is pretty much irrefutable. This was a reason for the establishment of the state of Israel in the 1940s, as a “safe haven” for the remaining Jews of Europe. It was also a reason for the postwar Nuremberg trials, which tried some of the most blatant of the war criminals. (More on that in another post.)
A mass grave at Bergen-Belsen after the camp’s liberation, April 1945
Postwar fascism, and the ever-expanding definition of the terms “fascist” and “Nazi”
Obviously, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy were both soundly defeated in World War II – which, in Europe, lasted from 1939 to 1945. But General Francisco Franco had won the Spanish Civil War. Therefore, he remained in power in Spain until his death in 1975. This meant that his right-wing militarist politics would continue to reign there, even many decades after World War II. There have also been similar right-wing military juntas in Latin America – including the one in Argentina by Juan Perón, and the one in Chile by Augusto Pinochet. Some would debate whether these right-wing military juntas are “fascist,” but most would agree that they are at least right-wing militarists. However, the definition of “fascism” has been greatly expanded in recent years – some would say unreasonably so. The terms “fascist” and “Nazi” have since been turned into near-meaningless pejoratives for anyone whose policies are disliked. That is, the terms have lost some of their connection to real-life fascism, of either the past or present kinds. Groups like Antifa (short for “Anti-Fascist”) are quick to condemn things as “fascist,” often without any real evidence to support these strange conclusions. The presence of Fascists and Nazis has been multiplied beyond their true numbers, and the search for them has turned into something like a witch-hunt. Ironically, Antifa seems to resemble the Fascists more than do any of its most prominent targets, particularly in its sometimes-overt Antisemitism – as expressed in certain kinds of anti-Zionism. Antisemitism has experienced a resurgence among the modern American left, and in the Muslim world of today. Such Antisemitism spits in the faces of the real-life victims of fascism, including the millions who perished in the Holocaust.
Francisco Franco, the victor of the (earlier) Spanish Civil War
The disturbing support for fascism, communism, and especially socialism among the young
Nonetheless, the number of self-identified “fascists” is growing at an alarming rate, even in places like the United States. One poll indicated that 7% of American Millennials believe that “fascism” is the best system. (see source) Take this for what it’s worth, but that’s what the respondents to this poll said. This suggests that fascism is still worth responding to, which is part of why I’m taking the time to debunk it here. Thankfully, real-life fascists are still a comparatively small minority, but any vestiges of this support would still be concerning – even if, like others, they should have the freedom of speech to say what they want. This extends even to them. Communism and socialism are also dangerous today, and have likewise made great inroads among the American Millennials – as these same polls indicate. But as President Harry Truman once said, “We are not going to try to control what our people read and say and think. We are not going to turn the United States into a right-wing totalitarian country in order to deal with a left-wing totalitarian threat.” (Source: “Address at a Dinner of the Federal Bar Association,” April 24, 1950) I couldn’t agree more. Nor do we have to turn into a left-wing totalitarian country to defeat a right-wing totalitarian threat. We can fight both of these extremes simultaneously, by educating people about the past. In so doing, we can show them that all three of these systems stink, and that none of them can bear the honest scrutiny of history.
The postwar Nuremberg trials, where Nazi leaders were finally tried for their crimes
Conclusion: Fascism should be thrown onto the “ash-heap of history,” never to be revived
All of these systems are travesties, which should be thrown onto the “ash-heap of history” – never to be revived or tried again. For more on that, see my other blog posts about fascism, which I link to below.
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