Is Fascism Right or Left?

Every Republican president since the 1970s has been called a fascist. Ironic, no? After all, fascism has its roots in the left. Dinesh D'Souza, author of The Big Lie, explains.

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Who is Giovanni Gentile?

Fascism is a left wing ideology. There is no question about it. Why does the left always portrays the right as fascist when right wing ideology and conservatism is about smaller government and individual freedom and is antithetical to the fascist beliefs in government control of the economy? Because fascism was given a bad name by Hitler and Mussolini and because it more closely resembles the model of government control they are trying to institute here in America.

Another good source is a book called "Liberal Fascism" by Jonah Goldberg which I will cover in a future post in this thread.

 

This book is a good read. I have read it cover to cover. This book explains how fascism is a product of leftist socialist totalitarian ideological philosophies. Anyone who implies that President Trump is a fascist doesn't understand conservatism, republicanism or President Trump. They also do not understand what fascism is.

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“There is no word in the English language that gets thrown around more freely by people who don’t know what it means than “fascism.” Indeed, the more someone uses the word “fascist” in everyday conversation, the less likely it is that he knows what he’s talking about.”
― Jonah Goldberg, Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left from Mussolini to the Politics of Meaning

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I have read lots of things, and one of the most incomprehensible (bogus) things I've ever read is The Doctrine of Fascism. I defy anyone to read it and make a reasonable case for retaining the use of the term "fascism" in any political discourse, casual or otherwise, to describe left, right or upside-down. The term is vague to the point of uselessness.

"Totalitarianism" or "Autocracy" or "Authoritarianism" are possible substitutes because in the end, "fascism" ends up being whatever the current, applicable iteration of Il Duce says it is, and can change at any moment. Just offer some reasoned, respectful debate to Il Duce on his interpretation and find out what it really means in a heartbeat, "he who has the guns writes the dictionary."

No wonder the lefties love it so much

 

"Democrats are the real fascists"

Peak boomerism

 

Well, to start. Left and right are nonsense in understanding political philosophy. The right represents the monarchy and the left is the public in the most classic sense. Facism is traditionaly right as that represents all out authoritarianism. However I understand why the so called right right wants to separate themselves from such ideology. I also understand why they want to pin it upon the left because it is politically expedient to do so.

This grey area allows us to make up what we want to believe as we give these things no definition and allow them to evolve through time. Regardless, I see facism as right wing, and I see the right wing as the protectors of monarchy or oligarchy because it is your heritage. Modern democrats are not left, that is the painting of the establishment to move the realm of argument right. We have two right wing parties arguing, the true left has been largely silenced.

 

Fascism is socialism with a nationalist veneer. It was well documented in Hayek's Road to Serfdom, with many footnoted references to socialist books and papers.

 

Funny how the far right always calls patriots like Obama fascist or Communist.


As for whether fascism is left or right, as everyone knows the fascists call themselves of the far right. Small wonder why so many Republicans love them and support their unpatriotic and anti-USA agenda.

 

Funny how the far right always calls patriots like Obama fascist or Communist.


As for whether fascism is left or right, as everyone knows the fascists call themselves of the far right. Small wonder why so many Republicans love them and support their unpatriotic and anti-USA agenda.

 

I would say fascism is neither left or right, but authoritarian. There is right wing overlap in its nationalism, but there is also left wing overlap in its disregard for free market economics. It isn’t consistently left wing or right wing, but it is consistently authoritarian.

 

I would guess 'non-Marxist Socialism' comes closest. You can have left or right wing socialism, so the claim of some fascists that they are 'Third Positionists is probably valid. The left wing of the Nazi Party had such members as Goebbels and Himmler, for instance, and the Strasserites were left wing relative to Hitler's swing to the Junkers after his election losses. The Nazi left wing wasn't far from this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Bolshevism

We do know for certain that there are lots of right wing socialists who religiously promote the ideal of socializing the costs of business while privatizing the profits, and most seem to have no clue as to the difference between Liberal and Left; many of them post here, and start lots of threads like this one.

 

That is utter mush.

 

Ok. Why?

 

far right fascist racists love Trump:

 

Ohio fascists support Trump

 

Welp, day is winding down and LW posters are now posting obvious photoshops and parodies as if they are real. Not surprised.

I saw Obama called a socialist, Kenyan, communist, blabla, and somewhere he was likely called a fascist once or twice. But it wasn't common, there is exactly -0- equivalence between the overuse of the term from the left v the right, and even someone like you well knows that, so spare it.

 

Closest so far in the thread.

 

Most terms don't mean anything anymore unfortunately. We live in a post truth world.

 

Right wingers like fascists always engage in hate filled rants. Witness Trump and his constant ravings.

By contrast, patriots engage in meaningful and rational dialog. Witness Obama and his mellowed rational discourse.

Big difference.

 

Politics is not linear, its not right-left, its much better explained as a 2 dimensional map. Communism and fascism are usually represented as the 2 corners of total authoritarianism, they are the evil twins of politics, and they share common roots.

The "fathers of fascism", people like Giovanni Gentile, Thomas Carlyle, were heavily influenced by Marx.

As for which party in the USA is closest to fascism, compare the following fascist political goals:
govt provided free health care
govt provided retirement
govt run public education
profit sharing of major industries
employee committees participating in company decisions
"social justice"

Those are from Hitlers Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers Party) 25 point political platform.

Do they sound like Republican or Democrat?

 

govt provided free health care [tax code has always allowed tax deductions for health care costs on CORPORATE tax returns - welfare for the rich]

govt provided retirement [Social Security was first recommended by Founding Father Thomas Paine]

govt run public education [wealthy schools have always had tax free status even if make war profits thru stock in military industrial complex]

profit sharing of major industries [corporate stock holders - biggest welfare recipients in USA, esp those in military industrial complex]

employee committees participating in company decisions [that's capitalism, party affiliation is irrelevant]

"social justice" [our Founding Fathers based their work on this concept]




Significantly, before Mussolini joined Gentile's fascist party he was expelled by the socialist party because the two parties differed so much - further, fascist Mussolini said that a fascist country cannot survive without war. Which USA political party is known as the war party?

 

I have that book on my shelf. I'll have to look through it again. Thanks.

 

This is why the left has no credibility. The woman with the shirt that says "white" is photoshopped. Her shirt actually says "GREAT".

 

A two dimensional map? I'm sorry, but I don't quite connect what you're trying to represent there.

Marx pretty much influenced the entirety of the world. This is why we have worker's rights, a 40 hour work week, vacation time, etc.

I don't really see anything early Marx that is facist. This denounciation comes from his later work which discusses that society evolves by your construction. Which I generally feel most who use it as a pejorative come from.

The opinion you are bringing to me is built on the concept that government is inherently bad. Which I don't find to be accurate, as that is the basis of Western philosophy.

Essentially:
Is universal heathcare bad if it's more affordable and gives similar care?

Is public education bad because it allows everyone some sense to make it and progress in the world? Do you want only the most privilaged to be allowed education?

Retirement is built into the idea that we don't want our elderly to become homeless and rot because they can't meet the needs of the labor market. Do you want the eldery to just be homeless and die?

Profit sharing... What do you mean?

Employee committees, ok, do you believe that the workers of a company have no bearing on it's success? And they should just be submissive to what they are given?

I just wish you could elaborate more.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...lboard-ignites-uproar/?utm_term=.3f27a40d7429


google for more pics

 

So is Dinesh D'Souza and Jonah Goldberg factually wrong, or did you not watch the videos or read the OP? If you think they are wrong, tell me how the fascist policies differ from left wing socialism.