Skip to main content

Mussolini on Fascism

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:

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....

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Michael Steele delivers GOP weekly address

Here is Michael Steele delivering the weekly Republican address: Transcript: This is Michael Steele, Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Democrats have controlled both branches of government for less than a month. And you have to wonder if all that power has gone to their heads. For the last two weeks, they've been trying to force a massive spending bill through Congress under the guise of economic relief. All of us - Republicans and Democrats - agree the government must act to kick-start the American economy. American families are doing their best to balance their own budgets and pay their mortgages. The fastest way to help those families is by letting them keep more of the money they earn. Individual empowerment: that's how you stimulate the economy. But the Democrats have a different philosophy. Instead of leaving money in the family checkbook, they want to send it to Washington, run it through a slow and inefficient government, and hope that does some good. Wh...
Post a Comment
Read more

On Iraq

Smith: Been to Iraq many times. Had many questions. Met with families who had lost loved ones. Offered ammendment with Democrats to end war and bring troops home. We won the war - Iraq must win the peace. Merkley: Our sons and daughters are the wrong ones to be there - we don't speak the language or understand the culture. I support Obama's plan to leave in 16 months, refocus on central front, Afghantistan.
Post a Comment
Read more