What is fascism?

Ideology

Fascism is an authoritarian, nationalistic, and populist system of government and social organisation, characterised by dictatorial power and forcible suppression of opposition, with an economy composed mostly of large corporations, the fascist term for syndicates or labour unions, heavily integrated into the state. Fascism is a collectivist synthesis of nationalism, syndicalism, and Actualism.

Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for liberal democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach.

Fascism views liberalism as obsolete and obscene. It regards the complete mobilisation of society under a totalitarian one-party state as necessary to prepare a nation for armed conflict and to respond effectively to economic difficulties.

The term fascism was first used by the totalitarian nationalist regime of Mussolini in Italy during the early to mid twentieth century. The word itself comes from the Latin for a bundle of sticks, a fascio. In the nineteenth century, an Italian trade union was called a fascio. The fasci, plural, were the Italian trade unions. Fascism literally means trade unionism.

Followers

Fascists support a balance of both economic freedom and restriction alongside maximum restrictions on cultural freedom. Fascists do not tolerate criticism of their ideology.

Allies

Fascists will ally themselves with socialists, known as useful idiots, for as long as they derive utility from the association. Once their usefulness ends, fascists will betray their allies, often with deadly force.

As they lean toward the authoritarian side of the political spectrum, fascists will view socialists on the libertarian side of the spectrum with suspicion and mistrust. As such, they are less likely to ally with these socialists.

Enemies

Fascists consider liberals and capitalists to be their enemies and seek to destroy them utterly for daring to end the tradition of collectivism that was practiced for most of human history. Fascists will employ entryist strategies to infiltrate and subvert liberal and capitalist organisations so as to destroy them from within.

Location on the political spectrum

Fascism is located at the far-top centre of the political spectrum. It is bordered by corporatism, authoritarian capitalism, progressivism, authoritarian socialism, and national socialism. As it is a fringe ideology, fascism does not occupy as much space on the spectrum as more mainstream ideologies.