I occasionally find myself having to explain that fascism is not quite an ideology as we ordinarily understand it. It doesn't have a defining governing policy, or economic policy, or foreign policy. It has, indeed, a hostility to specific programmatic commitments, being defined instead in its attitude of nationalism, belligerence, and naked will-to-power. Mussolini demonstrated this succinctly when he was asked if he would answer the questions of journalists from Il Mondo.
The democrats of Il Mondo want to know our programme?
It is to break the bones of the democrats of Il Mondo.
As a fascist commentator I know once said:
I am enlightened enough to reject all forms of self-delusion. And when ideology is transcended, only will remains.
cut your hair and become a real american you fucking freedom-hating lefty totalitarian shithead
ReplyDeleteIt may not have a specific programme, but it certainly does have a conception of extreme totalisation and collectivism. cf.,
ReplyDelete"The Fascist conception of the State is all-embracing; outside of it no human or spiritual values can exist, much less have value. Thus understood, Fascism is totalitarian, and the Fascist State - a synthesis and a unit inclusive of all values - interprets, develops, and potentiates the whole life of a people."
("La dottrina del fascismo", 1932)
About the only admirable thing about historical Fascism, aside from the sharp uniforms (sarcasm), is that they are very upfront and honest about their agenda. The tragedy of the Holocaust is in some ways down to the fact that people reading "Mein Kampf" did not consider it as a manual, but as some sort of hyperbolic fantasy.
ReplyDelete