The Problem with Fascism

The problem with Fascism is that most people remember only the aftermath of 20th Century European Fascism. What most people do not remember is the actual rise of Fascism and, in particular, how easy it is for democratic people to accept Fascism. I think the weakness of democracies is that people get tired of stalemates and lack of progress; then they start looking for what they perceive as strong leaders, people who promise quick action and radical solutions to all their problems.

This summer I have been reading Adam Hochschild's book "Spain in Our Hearts" and Sinclair Lewis's book "It Can't Happen Here." The former is a long and detailed account of the American and other foreign volunteers who went to Spain in 1936-1938 to fight for the Republic. But much of the book is devoted to the formation of Franco's Fascist regime and the various ways in which the democracies of France, England, and America refused to support the Republicans, implicitly supported Franco, and turned their backs on the roles that Italy and Germany were playing in backing Spanish Fascism. The latter book, written in 1935, is a fictional account of how a radical candidate, Berzelius Windrip, in the American presidential election of '36, carries the US into a Fascist regime. Lewis's descriptions sound exactly like a contemporary account of our own 2016 election. Of course, if you want to know more about the way Fascism works, you can also read George Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia" or, especially, Ignazio Silone's "Bread and Wine," which details the rise of Fascism in Italy.

Fascism works from the theme of strong patriotism and directs a Capitalist economy into increased productivity. Spanish Fascism was distinctly Catholic and received the best wishes of the Vatican, which ignored the thousands of people being imprisoned or executed by the Nationalist regime. Unfortunately, the patriotism is usually directed toward exclusion of various minority groups and political enemies. National paranoia inevitably requires major production of military and police power. Social life quickly becomes ruled by strict conformity to whatever the totalitarian leaders believe is "good citizenship." Dissent, instead of indicating freedom of expression, is quickly branded as an evil contrary to national security. Security, indeed, becomes the paramount issue and allows for all kinds of brutality.

Franco's Spanish Fascism survived World War II largely because they remained nominally neutral throughout the war, while allowing German and Italian use of Spanish ports and sharing intelligence with them. Germany and Italy, of course, were eventually brought to ruin by their aggressive pursuits of power and conquest. During the Cold War, the US gave support to Franco because he was radically opposed to Communism. In fact, as we reflect on this entire period, it is the hatred of Communists and Jews that unites people behind absolutists. What is truly sad is the price that Europeans eventually paid for their hatred.

There are many Americans today who hate Liberals (Socialists and Communists), Muslims, Mexicans, and African Americans with the same kind of intensity that can very likely open the doors to Fascism. We need to understand how easily this can happen and how painful the consequences will ultimately be.