I've been taking a look at Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism, so I got interested in how the most notable Fascists defined their movement.
I ran across this statement by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini concerning fascism...it's pretty enlightening in showing that fascism's most significant doctrine is taking power away from the individual and empowering the state:
I ran across this statement by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini concerning fascism...it's pretty enlightening in showing that fascism's most significant doctrine is taking power away from the individual and empowering the state:
The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their relation to the State. The conception of the Liberal State is not that of a directing force, guiding the play and development, both material and spiritual, of a collective body, but merely a force limited to the function of recording results: on the other hand, the Fascist State is itself conscious and has itself a will and a personality -- thus it may be called the
"ethic" State....
...The Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question cannot be the individual, but the State alone....
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