Fascism

Fascists are extreme nationalists – the nation always comes first.

Fascism has a contempt for liberalism and democracy, and a hatred of socialism and communism. Fascism  worships power. we see this in the leadership principle, Fuhrerprinznip in Nazi Germany, and in the authoritarian state: ein Reich, ein Volk, ein Fuhrer.

Economically, corporatism is seen as the best means to ensure an effective economy serving the needs of workers, owners and state. Fascists want to put an end to class conflict, and this can be achieved when everyone is working for the good of the state.

Socially, the Nazis wanted to create a volksgemeinschaft: a national community; tightly bound, upholding traditional values (the German peasant was seen as the ideal German – hardworking, virtuous, with the family the focal point of life) and with separate spheres for men and women: the public sphere of the politician, worker and soldier for men; the life of ‘Kinder, Kirche, Kuche’ (kids, kirk and kitchen) for women.

But this community will be inclusive. If you are one of us, welcome; if not, then you are not wanted. Fascists believe that there is a hierarchy of races and the Aryan race is the master race. Fascism has a contempt for Slavs and a hatred of Jews. The Nazis believed in racial purity through blood – no inter-racial breeding, and sterilisation, even euthanasia, for those who weakened the race, whether through mental illness or hereditary diseases, even habitual criminality. Volksgemeinschaft, then, was a racial community.