don@allegra.UUCP (08/10/83)
Subject: Fascism vs. Communism If you want to get political, why fool around? Arguments about Republicans vs. Democrats are pretty tame by any sort of global political standard. How do people feel about these two extreme, but highly influential views? Generally, one sees these systems explained only by people who are wildly opposed to one or both; therefore, I will try to be advocative. FASCISM: The world contains a few productive people like financiers and industrialists who really make things move. Everyone else (the working class) are just parasites living off the productivity of superior people. Eventually, non-productive people use the mechanism of democracy to force Capitalists to do things that aren't in their own pure self interest (eg. regulated economy). Just the productive people should run things so that cannot happen. (Note that the last sentence makes the real difference between a fascist and someone who is just "pretty rightwing".) MARXISM: Hundreds of years ago, craftsmen did their own work and sold their own goods. When mass production was invented, many people worked, but only a few (those who put up initial capital) got to keep the profits. A handful of people became rich by employing the labor power of many people and not paying those people for the real value of their work. The Capitalists are unnecessary. They use tainted money to make more tainted money. Workers should use their labor power solely to improve their own standard of living. It may be necesary to use force to unseat the Capitalists from their position of power.
ka@spanky.UUCP (08/16/83)
The explanation of fascism is slightly misleading because it discusses what fascism has to say about the economy, and fascism is not primarily an economic doctrine. Here are a few major tennents of fascism: Fascism is a political and religious system calling for a glorification of the state. It is a religious system (Mussolini's word, not mine) because it calls for the worship of the state. It is opposed to individualism because individualism assumes that individuals have inherent worth, rather than having value only as members of the state. It is opposed to democracy because democracy assumes "the people" are able to decide the proper direction for the state. Only a few people are capable of seeing in advance the natural path for the state [just as in the Catholic church final judgements are rendered by the pope and not by a majority vote]. The purpose of the state is to explore its potential [presumably by conquering other states]. Fascism is opposed to many of the arguments for capitalism [since these tend to talk about individual rights and freedoms] but can coexist with capitalism until the profit motive conflicts with the goals of the state. Naturally I am opposed to fascism. Kenneth Almquist