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From: ka@spanky.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Fascism vs. Communism
Message-ID: <442@spanky.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Aug-83 17:25:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: spanky.442
Posted: Mon Aug 15 17:25:48 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 16-Aug-83 12:24:29 EDT
References: <1730@allegra.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel, N. J.
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The explanation of fascism is slightly misleading because it discusses
what fascism has to say about the economy, and fascism is not primarily
an economic doctrine.  Here are a few major tennents of fascism:

Fascism is a political and religious system calling for a glorification
of the state.  It is a religious system (Mussolini's word, not mine)
because it calls for the worship of the state.  It is opposed to
individualism because individualism assumes that individuals have
inherent worth, rather than having value only as members of the state.
It is opposed to democracy because democracy assumes "the people" are
able to decide the proper direction for the state.  Only a few people
are capable of seeing in advance the natural path for the state [just
as in the Catholic church final judgements are rendered by the pope
and not by a majority vote].  The purpose of the state is to explore
its potential [presumably by conquering other states].  Fascism is
opposed to many of the arguments for capitalism [since these tend to
talk about individual rights and freedoms] but can coexist with
capitalism until the profit motive conflicts with the goals of the
state.

Naturally I am opposed to fascism.
					Kenneth Almquist