Fascism (/ˈfæʃɪzəm/) is a form of radical authoritarian ultranationalism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition and strong regimentation of society and of the economy.
> strong regimentation of society and of the economy
This is exactly what China is in the process of implementing via their social/sesame credit system. Semantics aside, it's not good.
oh thanks, i never thought to look at the actual definition. except how useful is that definition really, and how is it different than say any other dictatorship? yes, ultranationalism, but is PRC ultranationalistic? sure, one china, but there's also loads of flags in america.
you can argue PRC is more totalitarianism than just authoritarianism. but IMO, fascism is too vague to be useful without hindsight. for example, how is fascism meaningfully different than social nationalism? so please, don't just condescendingly throw out a cherry picked definition
Just because fascism and "communism" (as in, communism as implemented in China or the USSR) were at odds in the mid-20th century, doesn't mean they're incompatible.
I think that after a point communism and fascism are only different in name. Taken to extremes the outcome is the same; consolidation of power and wealth, suppression of opposition, and as near to absolute control as possible.
To be fair, they can start with different ideologies, but they end up very much the same: crushing individuals for the benefit of the all-powerful State. Does not matter if it's right or left, at the end of the day you get the following:
- Abolition of private property
- Abolition of civil liberties
- Abolition of political liberties
- Abolition of Free Press
- Systematic repression, the reign of fear
- Glorification of the Nation
- Quasi-Nationalization of Means of Production (whether private enterprise still exist is irrelevant, as they have to prone allegiance to the State)
- Mass murdering of political opposition and minorities
Same thing happened in France during the French Revolution, and nobody called it Fascism or Communism at the time but the idea of oppressing individuals for an utopian State was already there.
There are semantic differences, sure. The outcomes are horrifyingly the same. Lots of people die.
Some 10 million in fascist Germany[0], some 60 million in Soviet Russia, more than 70 million in communist China, etc.[1] Though, I'm not sure how to treat "just let them starve". Is it murder if you have the means to feed them? Is it murder if you don't even try?