I think fascism is a stage that historically most, maybe all, democracies go through on the way to maturity.
Stage 1: The people are held down by a totalitarian leader like a king or dictator.
Stage 2: The people throw out the king or dictator and try to establish democracy.
Stage 3: Chaos ensues as the old order breaks down and the people are frightened by their own freedom.
Stage 4: Strong men arise and start telling the people that they need to be saved from themselves by putting strong men back in place of the former kings and dictators.
Stage 5: Fascism:
A. Exaltation of strong leaders, who use force rather than consensus-building to achieve goals.
B. Anti-democracy, anti-civil rights for ordinary people.
C. Subjugation of the rights of the individual to the demands of "the group".
D. Demonization of minorities, outsiders, and others who don't belong to "the group" -- "they" are responsible for the chaos.
Eventually (maybe, hopefully) Stage 6: Backlash against the fascists, and the rise of real democracy.
Unfortunately, truly successful fascists don't just wither away, they either die in their beds (Cromwell, Lenin, Stalin, Franco) or are killed (Mussolini, Hitler).
At best, they must be ousted by force (Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein). |
