Principled Perspectives: Fascism

Showing posts with label Fascism. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 26, 2023

QUORA: ‘What three points do communists and fascists disagree on?’

I posted this answer:

Communism is international socialism: It seeks a worldwide homogenous system. Fascism is national socialism: It seeks to tailor its system to the customs and traditions of individual nations.
Communism allows no private property or private enterprise. Fascism allows a superficial veneer of both. But it is only a veneer of privatization, as all economic forces, as Mussolini put it, must be “coordinated and harmonized in the unity of the State.”
Communism is by definition strictly egalitarian—”from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” Fascism is less so, or not at all so.

These differences are superficial, though. What’s more important, because more fundamental, is what they have in common. There are 4 fundamental commonalities:

Statism (central control of all aspects of society)
Collectivism (the supremacy of some group, be it the race, the proletariat, society as a whole, et al, in whose name the state operates)
Mysticism (the quasi-religious belief in a higher group or national consciousness in whose will the state is the embodiment.)
A common enemy — Enlightenment liberalism and its consequences; individualism, constitutionally limited individual rights-protecting government, and Capitalism.

So, in practice, communism and fascism have meaningful differences.

But fundamentally, on the philosophical level—which is the level that counts most—communism and fascism can be thought of as fraternal twins. Never mind that, in today’s scrambled jargon, communism is considered “far Left” and fascism “far Right.” In truth, the only social system that is the antipode of both is Capitalism.

Thursday, October 19, 2023

QUORA: ‘Is it possible to be both a Communist and a Fascist?’

I posted this answer:

Superficially, no. Essentially, yes. The difference between Communism and Fascism are as follows. Communism is international, focussing on a united socialist world. Fascism, or national socialism, rejects that approach, instead focussing on socialism tailored to specific national attributes. Communism seeks state ownership of business and private enterprise (the means of production). Fascism seeks effective ownership through widespread centralized control of the economy, leaving a veneer of private ownership. Communism is strictly Egalitarian economically, demanding strict equality. Fascism redistributes plenty of wealth, but allows some measure of differentiation in wealth and income.

While Communism and Fascism differ in means, and feign to be mortal enemies, they share a common goal, along with every variation of socialism--wholesale, totalitarian socialization of society, and a hatred of their common enemy, individualism, the heart of Capitalism. Communism’s disdain for individualism, or individual autonomy, is undisputed. But just read Hitler’s Mein Kampf or Mussolini’s Doctrine of Fascism, and you will easily notice the same disdain for individualism and Capitalism. All share a collective moral vision, whereby all individuals, and their associations, whether corporations, unions, professional or trade societies, etc., exist for and within the orbit of the state. Don’t forget Molotov-Ribbentrop, the Nazi-Soviet pact that launched World War II.

Socialists love to redefine socialism, each faction claiming that their brand will work where all the others failed—somehow. Which brings us to today’s Democratic Socialists. I view these socialists as sympathetic to communism, but without wholesale nationalization of industry. Essentially, Democratic Socialism seeks Communism’s goal of “worker” control of industry through “legal”--i.e., state coercive--means. They are, in effect, practical Communists. They want to reach communistic goals through fascist means. It would not be inaccurate to describe Democratic Socialism as Red Fascism.

Is it possible to be both a Communist and a Fascist? Given that communism and fascism are, fundamentally, ideological fraternal twins, the answer is absolutely. As proof, I give you the Democratic Socialists.