By Douglas V. Gibbs
Donald J. Trump has been labeled as a fascist. Calling Republicans the purveyors of fascism is nothing new. Democratic governor of California Pat Brown, a communist (by the way), in 1964 remarked regarding Barry Goldwater’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that it “had the stench of fascism. All we needed to hear was Heil Hitler.” The Washington Examiner, in reporting this historical fact, comments, “It should be noted that Goldwater served as a pilot in the military during WWII. Brown didn’t have any military service at all.”
In the age of Trump, the Democrats have been calling Trump a fascist since he first appeared on the political stage. A group calling themselves Antifa, reminiscent of the anti-Nazi group in Germany of the same name, emerged to protest against Trump swearing that it was their goal to stop fascism in America before it could establish its footing under the fascist leadership of Donald Trump. It is important to note that Antifa in America shares a key characteristic with the Antifa of Nazi Germany – they are communists.
My whole life I’ve been hearing how Nazism and fascism are far-right ideologies. That assumption, however, is in error. Fascism does not possess the characteristics of a “rightwing” ideology, nor is it the opposite of communism as advertised.
Fascism first arose in Italy. Its name comes from the Italian word fascismo, which was derived from fascio (“fasces, bundle, group”) + -ismo (“-ism”). Benito Mussolini first adopted fascism in early twentieth century Italy with his fasci di combattimento (“fight clubs”). The word originally comes from the Latin word, fasces, which was a bundle of axes and rods carried before the magistrates of the ancient Roman Republic. The bundling theory of fascism is that a bundle of sticks is stronger when bundled together, rather than separated from each other. What Mussolini meant by that was that like socialism/communism, which controls the means of production through government ownership and control, with fascism the means of production must also be controlled by a strong, centralized government. The league of fascists considered that kind of bundling a sign of strength – strength through unity. However, fascists believed that communism was a failed ideology, so their form of socialism would not eliminate the private sector as communism did, but instead bundle it with the government, essentially establishing an illusion that a capitalist free market still exists, but through heavy regulation controlling the means of production – a concept that makes fascism a different type of socialism. Adolf Hitler adopted Mussolini’s ideology of fascism, and formed the NAZI Political Party. Hitler also recognized that fascism was a form of socialism, though he and his Nazis swore they hated communism and were the opposite of the ideology that had taken root in Russia, which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union.
Which brings us to the term Nazi…
Nazi originated as a clipping of the German term “Nationalsozialist” (English: National Socialist). Nazi is a term that was used to identify members of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). The abbreviation “Nazi” emerged in the 1920s as a derogatory term used by political opponents of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. The term “Nazi” was generally used during World War II by German exiles and opponents of the Hitler regime. The Nazis didn’t call themselves Nazis at all, but since the end of World War II the term has become synonymous with the ideology and regime of Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Newer groups who consider themselves a new version of the ideology have adopted the Nazi term. They are often called, “Neo-Nazis.”
Today’s Democrats have abandoned the part of the definition of fascism that connects it to socialism – largely because progressivism is socialism, and they don’t wish to remotely connect themselves to fascism if they can help it. Most people don’t know the details of World War II, anymore, nor do they know enough about history to realize that Nazism is remotely related to socialism. All most people know is that Adolf Hitler is likely the most hated dictatorial leader in the history of the world. Democrats, armed with the knowledge that Hitler is the most hated dictator in history, have used that fact to their advantage over and over again.
Fascism was the ideology of Hitler, therefore from the point of view of the Democrats anyone who needs to be characterized as being as dangerous as Hitler to their system of government must be a fascist. They began using the comparison of their opposition to Hitler way back during the 1960s, and along the way, after dropping the connection of fascism to socialism, and convincing the world that fascism is actually the opposite of socialism which would make it extreme right-wing, the Democrats in America and the communist globalists around the world redefined fascism to fit the needs of their narrative.
I read a NewsBreak/Raw Story article on October 25, 2024, which reported that when Tricia McLaughlin, a Republican strategist, tried to defend President Donald Trump against charges of being a fascist while she was being interviewed by CNN host Sara Sidner, she did so by “falsely claiming that fascism is a left-wing socialist political ideology.” The article goes on to claim that fascism is a right-wing political ideology that “exalts nation and often race above the individual, that is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, and that is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition.”
Additionally, the article continues, “when Nazis took power in the 1930s, socialists and communists were among the first people whom they targeted for political persecution.”
“Fascism is rooted in socialism!” said McLaughlin. “So we’ve got to get the definition correct because Donald Trump by no means is a socialist.”
“Fascism certainly isn’t socialism either,” Sidner shot back.
Democratic strategist Matt Bennett also issued a fact check of his own, saying, “Socialism and fascism are very very different. Fascism is right-wing authoritarianism.”
While the Democrats are correct that the German Nazis and fascists of Italy pushed national identity as a leading characteristic of their agenda, so does patriotism. Love of country does not make someone automatically a fascist. Placing race above the individual, a Democrat nod to Hitler’s “master race” political theory, does not necessarily automatically make one a fascist, either. That part of the game of the Democrats is an attempt to tie into their fascist accusation that Trump is a racist and a white supremacist, an accusation that emerged partly due to Trump’s immigration policy. His stance against illegal aliens is considered xenophobic by the Democrats, and if he has a fear of foreigners in his country, they have reasoned, it must mean that Trump is a racist. If he is a racist, then he must be a white supremacist because those people are racists, too. And if he is a white supremacist, then that must mean he wants white people to be the master race; which then must make him a fascist. It’s all a stretch, especially considering the diverse make-up of the people around Trump and MAGA Republicans, but the facts don’t matter when someone is trying to do whatever they can to protect their narrative, and deflect people away from what the Democrats are really up to.
The NewsBreak/Raw Story’s additional claims that fascism is associated with a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictator, and that it is characterized by severe economic and social regimentation and by forcible suppression of opposition are also true, but those things are not necessarily the definition of fascism, but instead they are the characteristics of fascism under Hitler’s Nazi Germany.
Which brings us back to the true definition of fascism, of which you cannot find in modern dictionaries or online in today’s world of mass-information. So, being the owner of old books that I am, I began pulling out my collection. I have a number of dictionaries that date all the way back to the early 1800s, but I was looking for something closer to World War II. After going through boxes (After moving to my new home I am building a new office but the space is not complete yet, so my collection is mostly still in boxes at this point) I pulled out an American Heritage Dictionary published in 1945.
The old dictionary defined fascism as being a “system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, and a capitalist economy subject to stringent governmental controls.” That last part was the important part. Fascism, like socialism, seeks to control the means of production, but rather than owning the means of production like socialism/communism would, fascism seeks to control the means of production with severe control over the private sector through heavy regulations.
Let’s stop for a moment and think about which political party in America supports heavy regulation over corporations and industry, and which party believes in small government and reducing governmental regulations against the business sector.
In an article I wrote February 22, 2010 I likened Obamacare to fascism, explaining that, “fascism is an increase of government control over the economic system, and the private sector, and is therefore socialist in nature, making it a left of center ideology…while industries are deceptively convinced they are continuing to be allowed to remain essentially a part of the private sector, the control of the industries by the government are still socialistic in nature through the use of an all-absorbing authoritarianism. Fascism teaches that all actions should be done for the greater good, which is ultimately considered by the ruling party as being for the good of the state. The rights of the individual are rejected, and the freedoms that are associated with a free market are crushed. The policies of the government is of business and government working together under a system of corporatism, which is anything but a free market based on the principles of liberty, and individualism…[a fascist system] uses their authoritarian powers to centralize economic planning, and dictate to the private industry how to run their businesses through wage controls, price controls, and other control mechanisms. Fascist regimes use a ‘scapegoat’ to push their agendas, such as fat cat bankers, obscene profits, or members of the opposition ideology such as is the case with today’s liberalism who does all it can to demonize, and discredit, any member of the conservative belief system, while failing to actually enter in the arena of debate over ideas, and historical examples of failed systems which used liberal philosophies. Fascism eventually leads to rampant cronyism and corruption, as the government suppresses all speculation by banks and stock exchanges, and takes control of the private sector, while suppressing individualism, by confiscating what the government considers unproductive income, and by taxing heavily private wealth.”
In an article I wrote October 11, 2011 I discussed fascism and provided a list of Hitler’s policies. I wrote, “When Leftists compared Bush to Hitler, it was due to Bush’s war policies, and the liberals were not shy about calling Bush the author of genocide, or holding up pictures of Bush at anti-war rallies with a Hitler-style moustache…Taking Hitler’s anti-semitism and war-like ways aside, Hitler’s Nazi Party actually has a great amount in common with today’s liberal Left, and Obama’s agenda. People will tell you that fascism like Nazism is a right wing political position because Hitler said that his politics were anti-communism. Since communism is to the left side of the political spectrum, then if fascism is the opposite as Mussolini and Hitler claimed, then fascism must be a rightwing thing.
“The problem with that line of thinking is that fascism finds its roots in socialism, which is the same as communism and liberalism. So, therefore, fascist regimes like the Nazis are actually leftwing. The idea that Hitler was rightwing is probably the most successful BIG LIE of the 20th Century…Nazism was nothing more nor less than a racist form of Leftism, and to label it as rightwing is to deny reality.
“My conclusion comes partly from understanding the current political spectrum as understood by most minds. The far left is 100% government, and the far right is 0% government. Each political ideology then would fall somewhere in between. Without taking today’s rhetoric into consideration, the Constitution is dead center. It created a central government limited in its authorities.
“Hitler’s political agenda is another peek into the reality that Nazism is leftwing. So, being leftwing like Obama, Hitler’s policies should share a number of positions with the liberal positions of the Obama administration.
Hitler’s policies were, for the most part, as follows:
– Hitler went to great lengths to stress the importance of labor unions.
– He considered the capitalist society as being brutal, greedy, and unjust.
– Hitler greatly admired the strong steps taken by President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal to take large-scale economic decision-making out of private hands and put it into those of government planning agencies.
– Hitler deplored selfish individualism. “Public need before private greed.”
– Required that all fire arms were registered, and then later confiscated all weapons.
– Government sponsored Health Insurance for all.
– Disliked Christianity, and respected the Muslims of his day.
– Hitler proposed that all unearned income, and all income that does not arise from work, be abolished.
– Nationalization of all businesses.
– Eugenics through selective breeding (an idea he took from the American Progressives of the day).
– The Nazis were the first major political party in the Western world to have a thorough going “Green” agenda.
– Abortion up to just weeks before birth, especially in cases of dwarfism or disabilities.
– Leftist education of the children that taught that God is dead, the institutions corrupt, the German people racist, the land ruined, the past evil and the future doomed by global warming.
– Children were taught a culture which romanticises violence and worships sex — telling them there is nothing more to life than the cravings of their bodies.
– Hitler also banned medical experiments on animals.
– Hitler created many national parks, particularly for Germany’s “sacred” forests (increasing the amount of land owned by the government).
– The Nazis warned of the growing extinction of species, the destruction of forests, the genocide of aboriginal peoples, the disruption of the ecosystem and the killing of whales. People were losing their relationship with nature.
– In Mein Kampf Hitler warned of the population bomb (pages 121, 122).
– Chain stores were forbidden to expand or open new branches (Hitler would have hated Wal-Mart).
– In posters and speeches Hitler claimed to be a peace-nik, and that he was fighting for “equality for all.” He campaigned on being anti-war to draw a separation between his agenda, and the policies of the communist party in the Soviet Union.
In short, like the Soviet Union, Nazi German was a leftist tyranny from a political standpoint. The policies are similar in communism, fascism, and liberalism.
“Liberals have told me that Hitler’s treatment of homosexuals was rightwing. However, Nazism’s treatment of homosexuals was a ruse to make them look more pure as a party. In reality, many members of the Nazi Party, including possibly Hitler himself, were homosexuals and bi-sexuals.”
Fascism is left-wing despite its right-wing label, and Trump is not the new Hitler, the Democrats are. CNN, feel free to have me on so I can straighten you ignorant peeps out.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary