Define Facism

[{GR}Raine]

This probably sounds really dumb but: How do you define facism? I mean, i just want a clearer definition.

[1936]

In simpleton terms, the way i see it is....where the people are oppressed for the benefits of the individual authoratarian.

So like the people lose liberty, so that the person in charge can enjoy a better quality of life.

But in mousilinis definition, it is where the people are oppressed for the state. Therefor they lose there liberty to better aid the people.

This would be the case of the extended terrorist actions of the us.

The later definition is a serious political ideology considerd by the society, in wich they must suffer for there own good, but in truth its just some fat, bald, racist nut job that wants a couple more cars.

[NovelGentry]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

An extremely relevant section from that website:

Fascism developed in opposition to socialism and communism, although some early Fascists were themselves former Marxists. In 1923, Mussolini declared in The Doctrine of Fascism:

... Fascism [is] the complete opposite of... Marxian Socialism, the materialist conception of the history of human civilization can be explained simply through the conflict of interests among the various social groups and by the change and development in the means and instruments of production....

Fascism, now and always, believes in holiness and in heroism; that is to say, in actions influenced by no economic motive, direct or indirect. And if the economic conception of history be denied, according to which theory men are no more than puppets, carried to and fro by the waves of chance, while the real directing forces are quite out of their control, it follows that the existence of an unchangeable and unchanging class-war is also denied - the natural progeny of the economic conception of history. And above all Fascism denies that class-war can be the preponderant force in the transformation of society....

... "The maxim that society exists only for the well-being and freedom of the individuals composing it does not seem to be in conformity with nature's plans.... If classical liberalism spells individualism," Mussolini continued, "Fascism spells government."

--Benito Mussolini, public domain, from The Internet Modern History Sourcebook (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/m...i-fascism.html)

While certain types of socialism may superficially appear to be similar to fascism, it should be noted that the two ideologies clash violently on many issues. The role of the state is an example: socialism considers the state to be merely a "tool of the people," sometimes calling it a "necessary evil," which exists to serve the interests of the people and to protect the common good. (Certain forms of libertarian socialism reject the state altogether.) Meanwhile, fascism holds the state to be an end in and of itself, which the people should obey and serve, rather than the other way around.

From what I've read of Mussolini's work, the state is held up as almost a spiritual center by which individuals and the people of a nation find their purpose.

3 simple ways to characterize fascism:

- Extremely nationalistic (often encompassing racist) feeling
- Holding the society above the individual, but in turn seeing society as guided through and constantly "spiritually" manifested with the power of the state.
- Authoritarian control

[bed_of_nails]

Isnt it sad the U$ is becomming a Fascist state?

[rice349]

Although this is a minor detail, Fascism (with a capital F) specifically refers to the reactionary authoritarian government of Italy under Benito Mussolini. Since then, lower case fascism simply been used to denote something that symbolizes or resembles some or all of the characteristics of the original fascist state.

When people use the term, many times they are not quite sure of what it means. OFten, you can be labelled fascist for either being extremely nationalist or racist, corporatism, severe social regulation, and the implementation of a right-wing totalitarian regime. Despite most attempts to keep definitions unbiased, the term is almost always used pejoratively.