Fascism and the Right Wing
By ParaTed2k
@ParaTed2k (22940)
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
November 10, 2010 6:39am CST
There's a myth out there that fascism is the extreme of the right wing. Sorry to burst some bubbles, but that isn't true. This is usually done by people on the Left who are trying to discredit the right.
Fascism is a form of Collectism that shuns laizzes faire capitalism. It combines corporations and the state in ways that make Capitalism impossible. It also requires the military to be the power behind the central government.
Anarchy would be the closest thing to an extreme of capitalism. However, since capitilism respects ownership and anarchy doesn't, the two are pretty much mutually exclusive. What you get with extreme right wing would be pure laizze faire capitalism, which (like all pure economic systems) wouldn't work.
So let's let this myth die, shall we?
1 person likes this
8 responses
@djbtol (5493)
• United States
10 Nov 10
Obviously the label is just another weak attempt from the left to slam the right. The application does not even make sense.
If there were an element of truth in it, the left should be jumping up and down because of increased government control. What I see is that American businesses and corporations should be far more agressive in fighting back against the democrats that declare business profit as evil. Instead, they kind of follow along, expecting to manipulate things in their favor later on.
@djbtol (5493)
• United States
10 Nov 10
I must have said what I did not say or did not say what I thought I said or something like that.
I did not mean to imply that anything about the broad-based accusations are new. Neither do I beleive that conservatism leads to fascism. I happend to believe that conservatism leads to good things. But, don't quote me on that because 10 different people will have 10 different definitions of a conservative.
@HawaiiGopher (1009)
• Belgium
10 Nov 10
Isn't fascism all about business controlling government while communism prefers government controlling the businesses? Also, isn't fascism meant to be strongly nationalist, while communism strongly internationalist? Apart from that, I will agree that both political theories, when applied, have many striking similarities: strong jingoism, fraudulent elections, cronyism, anti-democracy, controlled mass media, use of scapegoats, disdain for human rights, etc. However, that seems to be more of common attributes amongst authoritarian regimes.
When you take a look at fascism's social policies, they are quite telling: traditional gender roles, anti-divorce, anti-abortion, anti-homosexuality, "guardian of family values," obsession with national security, mixture of religion & government, elimination of labor unions, hostility towards intellectuals, and so on and so forth. Those policies seem to be pretty conservative ideas if you ask me.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
10 Nov 10
Well, if you pick details you could make it out that all economic and government systems are alike... especially if you go back through time.
The details aren't what make the system as much as who is defining the details. Fascism is a totalitarian system where the power rests in the corporations, the state and the military running the government. Yes, here in the US the corporations are influencing the government, but that is far from running it.
As far as the social examples you cited, most of them are just stereotypes if you ask me. Conservatives do NOT have hostility towards intellectuals. Yes we disagree with tactics SOME intellectuals use to force their will on the people, but many intellectuals disagree with Conservative tactics also. I know a lot of Conservative intellectuals, so the two aren't mutually exclusive.
It also wasn't that long ago when a very liberal band played a song that was considered a liberal anthem that included the lyrics..
"Everywhere is freaks and hairy's d1kes and fairies, tell me where is sanity. Tax the rich, feed the poor, til there are no, rich no more..." ~I'd Love to Change the World by Ten Years After.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
10 Nov 10
Yup, "a place for everyone and everyone in their place."
All I'm saying here is, while there are any right wing economic and government systems, fascism is not one of them.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
10 Nov 10
i think you have to realise teddy that you are talking about a whole range of views when you say the 'right'. it is very hard to put them all in the same box, which is why statements that assume that everybody with right wing views somehow is like the very, very extreme ones are ridiculous. politicians don't like people realising this. they prefer people to sort themselves into groups and they deliberately encourage us and them attitudes. especially when you have a two party system.
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
10 Nov 10
ahh, but we see why the socialists like to say Fascism is the right, because look at the bad things they did... and they certainly did bad things... but its because they don't understand... and they don't believe anything except what is fed to them by their machine.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
10 Nov 10
wow - that really is lumping people together. so anybody who has even slightly left of centre views is responsible for all the bad things done by those on the left? so this means anybody with even slightly right of centre views is responsible for all the bad things done by those on the right? and christians are responsible for all the bad things done in the name of christianity? etc etc etc
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
10 Nov 10
I agree with your explantion on this one. Just received photos of rioting in U.K. against the present party in power. The rioting ws outside of Millbank Tower - home of the Tory party. I am just remembering though that it is basically a coalition ruling now. The PM is Tory but the deputy PM is of the Labour party. I was born in the U.K. but haven't lived there for donkey years. Severe economic problems over there going on now. Worse in my adopted country.
@cynthiann (18602)
• Jamaica
10 Nov 10
Everything does seem to be in a colossal mess. The cuts are going to be horrendous for many people. When I think of what Margaret Thatcher did in the 80's....
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
10 Nov 10
I don't pay much attention to sides and "correctness" in definitions.
They all seem to be relative to the person shouting "HITLER!" at someone else.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
10 Nov 10
why are you bothering? in the simplistic, left-right way of describing political ideologies communism falls on the extreme left, fascism on the extreme right. the fact that the two are in many ways quite similar, and nothing like any of the moderate positions, is one of the drawbacks of simple black/white categories. i don't know why you want to redefine words to suit your own position. nobody *sensible* is calling you or conservatives in general fascists, because they aren't. just as nobody *sensible* is calling liberals communists.
@jb78000 (15139)
•
10 Nov 10
here are some examples from this country (and *please* don't say the extreme right in your country is different. it isn't)
this is the far right, which is approaching fascism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_National_Party
[i'd put a link to their own website but i object on principle]
this is the moderate right, which is nothing like fascism (unless you are an idiot who likes to toss around hyperbolic insults):
http://www.conservatives.com/
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
10 Nov 10
"just as nobody *sensible* is calling liberals communists" . Perhaps, but now and again we do call them "socialists" for which we receive a verbal thrashing, a tut-tut and yet another round of "you don't know what that word means". But, now that they are admitting openly that they are socialists and some of them are even responsible for shaping the political discourse in the country (such as Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC), it's going to get messy in the terminology ring.
Fascism is anti-communist and anti-liberal, but it is also anti-conservative. Fascism is its own category and although its convenient for someone on the left to insist that fascism is the extreme end of the right-wing, it's not true and it's not a good fit.
@Maggiepie (7816)
• United States
31 Jan 11
Preach it, Ted! As always, you are right, & a font of knowledge! Thank you!
I've tried to explain this to others, but the Leftists just don't get it. Maybe if I kept it bumper-sticker simple? You know: Fascism bad! Capitalism good! Only problem is, Capitalism has a few flaws, but those are easily tempered by the spread of an ethical & self-controlling society...which, alas, ours is no longer. Naturally, the cynics who hate Capitalism never fail to point to its smaller flaws as though these were egregious, deadly, & incurable except by Socialist or Communist means. It's a vicious circle. Sigh.
Sure, the bumper-sticker's too simplistic, but look at the people who don't get it! Dull knives in a dark, catch-all drawer....
Maggiepie
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep & bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson
Maggiepie
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep & bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.” ~ Thomas Jefferson