Chapter 20 & Fascism

At the ideological level, fascism was extremely nationalistic, aiming to revitalize and "purify" the nation and to mobilize its people for some great task, whatever that was, though it usually involves violence against enemies.  In addition, its leaders celebrated action over reflection and placed their faith in a charismatic leader.  Fascists were ideologically opposed to individualism, liberalism, feminism, democracy, and communism, which they argued weakened the nation.  Fascism first took shape in Italy, perhaps due to it not having developed a modern democratic culture yet due to it being a relatively new state.  In a period of social upheaval, Benito Mussolini came to power on the promise of strong leadership in contrast to communism and democracy.  Mussolini saw the Italian state as an entity unto itself, with its citizens all having roles to play.  Perhaps most crucially, he viewed expansion through war and empire building as essential to its vitality.

Although fascists believed in a rigid social hierarchy, unlike communists, both ideologies prioritize loyalty to a collective society over individualism.  This may not be all that surprising, considering that Mussolini had a socialist background.  It almost seems like fascism was the right-wing answer to communism and the Russian Revolution  Considering the social, political, and economic situations in Italy, Germany, and Japan at the time, it is somewhat easy to see why influential people in those countries were attracted to fascism as a solution to the problems.

I agree that some fascist tendencies are on the rise today, especially the emphasis on nationalism.  While I don't necessarily think our current president is a fascist, I can definitely see the element of banding around a charismatic leader in that particular political party at the present.  However, not all of these tendencies necessarily indicate actual fascist ideology being on the rise, especially here in the United States, since we do have a strong democratic tradition.  As far as the element of racism, that in itself does not necessarily indicate that fascism is returning, as racists may not agree with the dictatorial elements.