FASCISM: A POLITICAL IDEOLOGY

What is Fascism?
Fascism believes in the superiority of the nation. The nation refers to a collection of people
bound together by race, ethnicity, or culture. The way to achieve national superiority is through
the state. The ultimate goal of the major fascist regimes that have existed, like the regimes of the
Italian Fascist Party and the German Nazi Party, was to pursue national greatness.
The type of state needed to fulfill this goal is, an anti-democratic and totalitarian state. Such a
state is anti-democratic because it eliminates democratic institutions, like the electoral,
parliamentary, and multi-party systems, that frustrate this goal of national greatness. The state is
totalitarian because it controls aspects of citizens lives, such as their leisure time, education, and
political activity, to ensure that the citizens support the regimes goal.
1. Fascism is the ideology of nationalism upheld by an anti-democratic and totalitarian state.
2. According to Griffin: Fascism is best defined as a revolutionary form of nationalism, one
that sets out to be a political, social and ethical revolution, welding the people into a
dynamic national community under new elites infused with heroic values. The core myth
that inspires this project is that only a populist, trans-class movement of purifying,
cathartic national rebirth can stem the tide of decadence.
3. According to Benito Mussolini: 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 Statea synthesis and a unit inclusive
of all valuesinterprets, develops, and potentiates the whole life of a people.
4. According to Prof. John Weiss: (Fascism is) Organicist conceptions of community,
philosophical idealism, idealization of "manly" virtues, resentment of mass democracy,
elitist conceptions of political and social leadership, racism (and usually anti-Semitism),
militarism and Imperialism.

SOME ENABLING CONDITIONS FOR FASCISM

Fascism generally flourishes in countries with strong nationalism and weak democracies. Strong
nationalism attracts people to fascisms ultra-nationalist goals. Weak democracy has two
meanings, both of which enable fascism to flourish. A democracy is weak in that it is incompetent
and unresponsive. Citizens become disenchanted with it and are willing to abandon it for another
regime type. A weak democracy also refers to a democratic tradition that is fairly new and not
strongly entrenched. This also enables fascism to flourish because it is easier to replace this type
of democracy with another regime.
ENABLING CONDITIONS APPLIED TO ITALY AND GERMANY
All these conditions apply to the political and social situations in post- World War One Germany
and Italy. Nationalism was potent. Italians felt that their national pride had suffered because they
believed they had not been awarded the amount of territory it should have been awarded after
World War One ended. Germans believed that their national pride had been humiliated because
their government had accepted the Treaty of Versailles, which required Germany to accept the
blame for starting World War One and imposed harsh reparations, as well as substantial territorial
concessions. The Fascist and Nazi parties were appealing because they promised to restore the
national greatness that citizens felt was lacking.
Italian and German democracies, and democratic traditions, were weak. Both countries had
unified and become democracies relatively late. Italy unified between 1860 and 1870, and
Germany unified around 1870. Their parliaments were rather unresponsive to citizens needs. For
example, neither the German nor Italian parliament was able to stem the post-World War One
economic crises, and rises in unemployment, in their countries. As a consequence of all these
factors, Italian and German citizens were willing to support fascism.
EXTREME RIGHT PARTIES AND NEO-FASCISM
Extreme right parties in Europe share ideological aspects with fascism. For this reason, they are
considered neo-fascist parties: parties that are the contemporary incarnation of fascism.
For instance, the extreme right parties desire to advance the nation by getting rid of all
immigrants. The parties believe that immigration ruins the nation. The parties contend that
immigrants cause citizens of the host country to become unemployed. Immigrants also allegedly
ruin national culture by preserving their own customs instead of adopting those of their host

country. Immigration engenders a condition that enables fascism to arise: national resentment.
The extreme right parties unfavourable views regarding immigrants reflect the citizens. In
addition, many citizens believe that immigrants appropriate welfare benefits that should go to
citizens instead. The national resentment directed towards immigrants is a combination of
indignation and fear.
However, that the condition of national resentment by itself is not sufficient to engender fascism.
The combination of national resentment and weak democracy offer a better opportunity for
fascism to rise.
The democratic conditions within which these parties operate ultimately do not allow fascism to
flourish. Democracy is more deeply entrenched during the contemporary era than it was in the
post-World War One era. While Nazis and Fascists managed to overthrow the democratic regimes
in their countries, there are now supranational and national barriers that discourage this from
happening. Many extreme right parties operate in countries that are part of the European Union:
the FN of France, the AN (Alleanza Nationale) of Italy, the BNP (British National Party) of the
United Kingdom, and the FPO (Austrian Freedom Party) of Austria (among others). As members
of the European Union, these countries are required to have, and maintain, a democratic regime.
Moreover, the general mindset within many of these countries is democratically predisposed.
Indeed, the extreme right has sought to render [itself] acceptable in an age assumed to be
democratic. The extreme right parties have had to conform to citizens expectations of their
governments in order to gain electoral support.
Democracy prevents fascism. In order to implement fascism, a state needs to be anti-democratic.
However, given supranational and national conditions, the state in European countries is
democratic. If fascism were to adapt to these democratic conditions, it would cease to exist.
Indeed, it would become a new ideology: national-populism. National-populism results from a
conscious effort to update fascism and render it viable in changed [democratic] conditions. The
extreme right parties, which are often called neo-fascist, are actually national-populist.
Moreover, democracy changes the nature of the goal that national-populist parties and fascism
share in common. According to fascism, the way to advance the nation is to have a leader who
embodies the will of the people. This person, not the people themselves, knows best what is in
the nations interest. National-populist parties do not take this approach. Instead, they advocate

direct democracy initiatives, such as the referendum, because such initiatives enable citizens
preferences to be heard. However, from a fascist perspective, these preferences only take into
account the citizens individual interests, not the collective interests of the nation. Individual
interests are different from the national interest. So national-populists are not advancing the
nation when they advocate direct democracy. Ultimately, then, they are not fascist in practice or
in theory.
14 CHARACTERISTICS OF FACISM
Political scientist Dr. Lawrence Britt wrote an article about fascism. He calls these the identifying
characteristics of fascism.
The 14 characteristics are:1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic motto, slogans, symbols, songs,
and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in
public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are
persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The
people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions,
assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a
perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals;
communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a
disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected.
Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under
fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is
high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
6. Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the
media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media
spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a
tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from
government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed
to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the
government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government
relationship and power elite.
10. Labour Power is Suppressed
Because the organizing power of labour is the only real threat to a fascist government,
labour unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed .
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and
academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even
arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to
fund the arts.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment

Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The
people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the
name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in
fascist nations.
13. Rampant Crony-ism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who
appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority
to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for
national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by
government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are
manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates,
use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and
manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate
or control elections.
CONCLUSION
Extreme right parties are not fascist. Indeed, in regards to the extreme right, or nation-populist,
parties, democracy appears to be an effective antidote to fascism. However, just because
democracy has proven to be successful against fascism in this particular situation, it does not
guarantee that democracy will always be successful. One cannot predict with certainty what
democratic conditions will be like in the future or what types of political parties will exist.