The Warning of The Revival of Fascism

The Warning of The Revival of Fascism:  

review of The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism by Mussolini 

Along with the end of the Cold War, the well-known political scientist Francis Fukuyama wrote the book The End of History and the Last Man (1992) and declared human history had ended because the biggest communist regime has collapsed, and liberalism and democracies of the West will dominate the global. However, a new ideology for wearing different clothes has strongly threatened the liberalism and democracies of the West again. The new cold war has already started because of this new ideology. If we research the rising of China, the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, and the right-wing extremism movement in the West, we will find this new ideology is Fascism although it has many kinds of titles or political clothes. 

Fascism was originally from Italy and its founder was Benito Mussolini. In his article the Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism, he comprehensively explains the doctrine and principle of fascism. Mussolini asserted that Fascism is an ideology of state supremacy, collective supremacy, and national supremacy. Meanwhile, Fascism is an ideology opposed to liberalism, individualism, and Marxian socialism. In addition, Mussolini deified and sanctified fascism and let it become a new religious and spiritual, and ethical entity. 

Mussolini wrote, “The Fascist State, as a higher and more powerful expression of personality, is a force, but a spiritual one...The state, as conceived and realized by fascism, is a spiritual and ethical entity for securing the political, and juridical. And the economic organization of the nation, an organization which in its origin and growth is a manifestation of the spirit...A nation, as expressed in the State, is a living, ethical entity only in so far as it is progressive...Indeed, it is the State that, as the expression of a universal ethical will, creates the right to national independence...The state educates the citizens to civism, makes them aware of their mission, urges them to unity.” Indeed, Fascism thought the state is the highest entity in society, and all citizens must absolutely obey the state and individual human rights could be removed and sacrificed to accomplish the purpose of the state. The fascist theory of state and nation not only enhances the dictatorship of the fascist regime but also strengthens the military power of aggression and expands the fascist state, so the significant feature of the Fascist state is suppression at home and aggression abroad.      

As so-called “by the people, of the people, and for the people,” liberalism and individualism think the purpose of the state is to serve the people. Obviously, the state’s theory of liberalism and individualism is opposed to fascism. Mussolini declared fascism is anti-liberalism and anti-individualism, “It (Fascism) is opposed to classical liberalism which arose as a reaction to absolutism and exhausted its historical function when the state became the expression of the conscience and will of the people... Liberalism denied the State in the name of the individual; Fascism reasserts... Fascism is definitely and absolutely opposed to the doctrines of liberalism, both in the political and the economic sphere...In rejecting democracy Fascism rejects the absurd conventional lie of political equalitarianism.”  Fascism ruthlessly cracks down on all kinds of human rights and barbarically prohibits all forms and institutions of democracy such as checks and balances of power and elects the congress representative and major government officials. Therefore, fascism led to the totalism dictatorship of one party, one leader, and one voice in a state.    

Same to fascism, Marxian socialism is also against liberalism. However, fascism is firmly opposed to socialism and communism. Mussolini asserted, “Fascism denied Marxian socialism and the doctrine of historic materialism and class struggle...above all it denies that the class struggle is the preponderating agent in social transformation.” Obviously, fascism did not care about the interests of the proletariat and the working class, and it only focused on strengthening the power of the fascist regime through economic support by the bourgeoisie. In terms of anti-democracy, communism is a left-wing extremism dictatorship, but fascism is a right-wing extremism dictatorship.     

Additionally, Mussolini tried to let fascism become the national religion or faith. In this article, he sanctified fascism in order to force all citizens to trust and obey fascism, which like all Christians obeys the Christianity faith. “Fascism is now clearly defined not only as a regime but as a doctrine.” He wrote, “the Fascist conception of life is a religious one, in which man is viewed in his immanent relation to a higher law, endowed with an objective will transcending the individual and raising him to conscious membership of a spiritual society. Those who perceive nothing beyond opportunistic considerations in the religious policy of the Fascist regime fail to realize that Fascism is not only a system of government but also and above all a system of thought.” In fact, fascism is only a secular political ideology, and it’s not a faith or the doctrine of religion. Mussolini sanctified fascism so that he could totally control all Italian's thoughts, spirits even souls. 

As a well-known political journalist, Mussolini's outstanding definition and make-up for fascism, so his article had significant deceitfulness and provocative. Fascism ultimately led to unbelievable disasters such as World War Two and the holocaust, this article cannot remove the relationship with this disaster. 

Although World War Two has already ended, fascism is not over. Actually, fascism is rising globally in the contemporary world through other notions and clothes. For instance, after the Soviet Union collapsed, Russia successfully replaced communism with nationalism. Putin has used nationalism to invade Ukraine and brutal suppression at home. Putin wants to build up a great Russian empire state and let this state be above the Russian people and other nations. Putin also uses Orthodox Christianity to enhance the power of his nationalism and dictatorship. In fact, Putin’s nationalism is fascism because they have many common natures such as state first, emphasize nation, sanctified nationalism, and anti-liberalism, and opposed to the democracy of the West. Russia has already turned a radical right-wing fascist state from a radical left-wing communist state.    

Similarly, China president Xi changed communism to nationalism through called “China Dream” and “the Great Revival of the Chinese Nation.” “China Dream” is China’s global ambition, and it aims to make China great again. “China Dream” also put the state first and sanctified the nationalism and dictatorship of the Chinese Communist Party. President Xi also suppression at home and aggression in abord like a cruel crackdown on Tibet, and Xinjiang, and trying to conquer the South China Sea and Taiwan. “China Dream”, as China’s official ideology, basically is fascism. Since the reformation and opening to the market economy, the CCP has already abandoned Marxian socialism, and the essence of Chinese communist regimes today is very similar to fascism, and China also has turned a right-wing extremism fascist state from a left-wing extremism communist state.    

Fascism not only rose from the former communist states, but it also rising in many democratic states like the U.S. On January 6, 2021, thousands of MAGA supporters attacked Capitol hill, which is the fugitive of American democracy, if they had won at that time, the U.S. would become a fascist state. MAGA movement has many similar natures to fascism such as state first, emphasizing specific nation, sanctified nationalism, anti-democracy, and worship movement leaders. MAGA and other radical right-line movements threaten the security of American democracy and rule of law, and they are new fascism in terms of their essence. Besides the U.S., right-wing extremism is also rising in Europe along with many new social problems like new immigration, Brexit, and conflict with Muslim culture. Therefore, the new fascist movement is threatening the freedom and security of the West.  

The ending of the Cold War could not cause the end of the threat to human freedom and world peace. A new threat to the liberty and security of the global is the new fascism. Russia and China, as former communistic states, used nationalism to implement new fascism. The invasion of Ukraine, and the crackdown on dissidents at home, all actions indicate that Putin is practicing fascism.  The concentration camp in Xinjiang, the illegal artificial island in the South China sea, and military drills and threats for Taiwan, all actions also prove that China is a new fascist state. The West also is influenced by fascism, it is possible that right-wing extremism turns to fascism. Consequently, we have to research fascism. In order to analyze the international situation and deal with the new war and conflict, it is necessary to rethink and research fascism. Therefore, it is significant to read and review The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism by Mussolini.