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How the Democrats fell for Mussolini
UnHerd ^ | July 5, 2021 | Joel Kotkin

Posted on 07/07/2021 11:14:15 AM PDT by TBP

Yet in many ways, Mussolini’s notion of fascism has become increasingly dominant in much of the world, albeit in an unexpected form: in the worldview of those progressives who typically see “proto-fascism” lurking on the Right.

Mussolini’s idea of an economy controlled from above, with generous benefits but dominated by large business interests, is gradually supplanting the old liberal capitalist model. In the West, for example, the “Great Reset,” introduced by the World Economic Forum’s Klaus Schwab, proposes an expanded welfare state and an economy that transcends the market for the greater goal of serving racial and gender “equity”, as well as saving the planet.

Wherever it appears, whether in the early 20th century or today, fascism — in its corporate sense — relies on concentrated economic power to achieve its essential and ideological goals. In 1922, for instance, large corporations and landowners helped finance Mussolini’s Black Shirts for their March on Rome. Confindustria, the leading organisation of Italian industrialists, was glad to see the end of class-based chaos and welcomed the state’s infrastructure surge.

This parallels with the alarming transformation of the US Democratic Party, the putative “party of the people” , now increasingly a subsidiary of the corporate elite. Among financial firms, communications companies and lawyers, Biden outraised Trump by five-to-one or more. Today’s oligarchs are particularly keen on the progressive non-profit sector, which provides important support for their political and social advocacy — a means for them to make politically correct statements about climate change, gender and race, while still obtaining enormous profit margins and unprecedented wealth.

But whereas the old fascism sought greater prosperity, its new form, at least in the West, supports only an expanded welfare state that keeps the beleaguered middle and working classes both quiescent and stripped of aspiration.

(Excerpt) Read more at unherd.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: democrats; fascism; liberals; progressives
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Progressives and fascists hvae always been "kissing cousins," borrowing ideas and inspiration from each other. Now, it's an even more complete connection.
1 posted on 07/07/2021 11:14:15 AM PDT by TBP
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To: TBP

fascism is a collectivist ideology despite what the LEFT says.

china currently practices fascism though they were never admit it.

dems are collectivist friendly if not outright marxists/fascists.


2 posted on 07/07/2021 11:21:21 AM PDT by joshua c (Dump the LEFT. Cable tv, Big tech, national name brands)
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To: TBP

FDR was initially praised as “The American Mussolini.”


3 posted on 07/07/2021 11:21:27 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: TBP

And now we have Italian Fascist Pelosi proposing a Praetorian Guard throughout the United States for her gangster state groupies, so that no opposition may annoy them.

Mussolini indeed. Except Pelosi can’t make the trains run on time.


4 posted on 07/07/2021 11:21:42 AM PDT by Regulator (It's Fraud, Jim)
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To: cll

Bump


5 posted on 07/07/2021 11:25:41 AM PDT by cll (Serviam!)
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To: TBP

Reportedly, Mussolini had publicly complemented FDR’s policies. An advisor tried to caution him that by complementing FDR he was causing damage to FDR. He had a difficult time understanding why that would be, but did mute his public praise of the American president.


6 posted on 07/07/2021 11:29:39 AM PDT by Gen.Blather (Wait! I said that out loud? )
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To: Gen.Blather

Mussolini wasn’t the brightest guy on Earth — like Biden.


7 posted on 07/07/2021 11:31:32 AM PDT by TBP (Progressives lack compassion and tolerance. Their self-aggrandizement is all that matters. )
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To: TBP

Yep, I have said for years that we are progressing toward a fascist form of government. The antifa are calling people “fascists”, thinking that it is the equivalent of Nazi, without knowing what it means.


8 posted on 07/07/2021 11:31:46 AM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (“Unlimited power in the hands of limited people always leads to cruelty.” ― Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn,)
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: TBP

Bertram Gross was oddly prescient when he came out with the book “Friendly Fascism” 35 years ago.


10 posted on 07/07/2021 11:39:02 AM PDT by Tench_Coxe
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To: TBP
Right and Left are political terms that are always defined (or implied) in such a way that it is the always the other side that has the Nazi's. Is an objective definition even possible?

Since the terms of Right and Left originated from the French Revolution by where people sat in the National Assembly, a simple definition for Americans is where the members of Congress sit. Obviously Republicans on the Right and Democrats on the left. Where would that put Nazi's? Since Nazi are "National Socialists" and Democrats are clearly on the Socialist side the Nazi's belong on the Left side.

11 posted on 07/07/2021 11:44:15 AM PDT by Nateman (If the Left is not screaming , you are doing it wrong.)
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To: digger48

Hell, she’s 80. As vicious as she is she’ll probably croak of acid indigestion someday soon.


12 posted on 07/07/2021 11:46:42 AM PDT by Regulator (It's Fraud, Jim)
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To: TBP

How they fell for Mussolini? How about discussing how they fall for Stalin...and Mao...and Che.


13 posted on 07/07/2021 11:48:49 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Trump: "They're After You. I'm Just In The Way")
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To: TBP

Bottom line is that a-hole used Mustard Gas in Ethiopia.


14 posted on 07/07/2021 11:51:04 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: TBP

Bkmk


15 posted on 07/07/2021 11:53:20 AM PDT by sauropod (The smartphone is the retina of the mind's eye.)
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To: Regulator

It would be a hoot if she were to choke on her $15 a pint ice cream.


16 posted on 07/07/2021 11:54:04 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Trump: "They're After You. I'm Just In The Way")
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To: TBP

Oswald Moseley was a classic case, he was a fairly progressive British politician in the 1920s, who came under Mussolini’s spell.

Eventually the winds shifted, and he cast his lot with Hitler.

Which in the end really was a shame, he was a brilliant orator, but he got sucked into believing totalitarianism was a solution.


17 posted on 07/07/2021 11:54:51 AM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Regulator

>>And now we have Italian Fascist Pelosi proposing a Praetorian Guard throughout the United States for her gangster state groupies, so that no opposition may annoy them.
>>Mussolini indeed. Except Pelosi can’t make the trains run on time.

Democrats certainly weren’t pushing for more security/investigation and lighter rhetoric after a Bernie Bro shot at Republican Congressmen.


18 posted on 07/07/2021 12:04:53 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Lean on Joe Biden to follow Donald Trump's example and donate his annual salary to charity.)
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To: TBP

Mussolini got the ending he desereved... hanged upside down in the town square and shot full of holes.


19 posted on 07/07/2021 12:14:32 PM PDT by NFHale (The Second Amendment - By Any Means Necessary.She was, indeed, a hottie… Rest in peace, Joanne.)
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To: Nateman

The NSDAP, along with actual Fascists, called themselves 3rd Positionists. They were opposed to both communism and the capitalists of their day.


20 posted on 07/07/2021 12:33:02 PM PDT by Mr. Blond
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