Fascism

= **Fascism ** =



Fascism is a form of government where the sovereign state, both economic and political, is run through dictatorial control. It is mainly manifested and characterized by fascist movements in Europe during the early to mid 20th century as a rather radical answer to the socialist ideas and government movements arising at the time, although there were other fascist movements throughout the world, such as in Japan and Romania. The beginnings of the fascist movement are generally accepted to be with that of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini with his writing of //The Fascist Manifesto//. Although the simplistic and accepted definition of Fascism is rather broad, the many individual fascist brands had differing ideologies as to why the state needed to be in control. Many were driven by racism, anti-semitism, and even religious zealotry, but the overall underpinning is that of a survival-of-the-fittest mindset. In order to survive, a country must be strong, and in some cases willing to eliminate what the state considered weakness from within. The Nazi Socialist Party in early to mid 20th century Germany is one example of a very radical type of fascism.

Maintaining ones standing as a good citizen in a fascist state could be viewed as very complex, or very simply. It is simplistic in that all one must do to be a good citizen is obey the demands and mandates of the state. Mussolini explained fascism as being "//Against individualism, the Fascist conception is for the State; and it is for the individual in so far as he coincides with the State"// This task is complicated however by the varying degree of the required actions. For instance, here is Adolf Hitler's views on property: //"What matters is to emphasize the fundamental idea in my party's economic program clearly -- the idea of authority. I want the authority; I want everyone to keep the property he has acquired for himself according to the principle: benefit to the community precedes benefit to the individual. But the state should retain supervision and each property owner should consider himself appointed by the state. It is his duty not to use his property against the interests of others among his own people. This is the crucial matter. The Third Reich will always retain its right to control the owners of property.//" One can see how being appointed a property owner over ones own possessions could lead to conflicting interests if the individuals ideals or desires did not match the states. In order to be a good citizen, one would have to be under the same belief structure as the dictators, so possible conflicts of interest would not arise.

This idea, especially if one looks at the racist beliefs present in many forms of fascism, Nazism in particular, is in an almost direct conflict with the definition of being a citizen, as they would not be truly free. It also takes away the rights and protections of people living within the sovereign state if they were of a different race or religious heritage. This is compliated further by the majority and state belief that these people were not in fact citizens based upon their race or religion, and therefore not granted the rights and protections of the state. These people would then be living in a state that had no government for them, or even worse, a possibly hostile state. For more info on their duties as good citizens, see Anarchy.