As time wears on, our view of history becomes blurred. It is at this juncture that those who seek to re-write history and definitions have been successful. The term fascism is being used to frame those who are liberal or liberal governments. This couldn't be further from the truth.
When communism was introduced as a form of government after the Bolshevik Revolution, it's counterpart started it's rise to power in Italy and other countries throughout Europe. This counterpart was called fascism.
The levers in a fascist government were controlled by the captains of industry, rather than the people. In 1983, the American Heritage Dictionary defined fascism as;
"A system of government that exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership,together with belligerent nationalism."
In a pamphlet written by the dictator Benito Mussolini of Italy titled
"The Doctrine of Fascism", he wrote "If classical liberalism spells individualism, Fascism spells government." By 1938 dictator Benito Mussolini brought his vision of fascism to fruition in Italy, he dissolved the Parliament and replaced it with "Camera dei Fasci e delle Corporazioni" or "the Chamber of Fascist Corporations".
So to put this into perspective, today corporations lobby our representatives to make,change and dissolve laws and regulations o benefit their particular industry. In a fascist government, they openly control the government and actually write the very laws and regulation of the Country.
The rise of fascism was a concern during World War 2. It was so concerning to America, that Vice President Henry Wallace wrote an article to the New York Times in 1944. In that article he wrote:
"If we define an American fascist as one who in case of conflict puts money and power ahead of human beings,then there are undoubtedly several million fascists in the United States. There are probably several hundred thousand if we narrow the definition to include only those who in their search for money and power are ruthless and deceitful...They are patriotic in times of war because it is to their interest to be so,but in time of peace they follow power and the dollar wherever it may lead."
Benito Mussolini named this new form of Corporate-State partnership after the old Roman "fasci", or a bundle of sticks held together by rope. Mussolini said the bundle under this government was police,military and captains of industry.
The next time you hear a conservative commentator or politician telling you that liberals are fascist, they are either re-writing history or they are just ignorant of fascism's role within the 20th century.
The conservatives have been pushing for more CEOs and "captains of industry" to be heads of State for quite a few years. There isn't a problem with businessmen running for office, especially if that person is a community business owner. That person understands shared responsibility within our communities.
The problem lies with big corporate interests running our government and enforcing laws that protect "We the People". Remember in a fascist government, corporations make the laws that effect "the people". They are in charge of regulation of clean water and air.
Many corporations today are leaving the U.S.A. to countries without environmental protections for the people. The citizens of these countries need to wear masks in order to help them breath. If the CEOs of these corporations became heads of State, don't you think that could be in our future?
They obviously don't care about air quality in those Countries, imagine if they were in charge of protecting ours.