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Dionysios Dionou's avatar

Excellent essay here's so reflections and but of push back. Italian Fascism was one of the most popular ideologies of the 20th Century. Copied and tailored to nations as different as Romania and Argentina, Brazil and Kuomintang China, Vichy France, Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera's Flange, Franco's Spain, Oswald Mosley's British Union of Fascists and the government of Wang Ching-wei. Many on the alt-right and so called "conservatives" and "libertarians" do not understand fascism the Murray Rothbard crowd sees Fascism as in the US multi-national oligarchy, working hand in hand with the Federal government to the detriment of the people. Their observations are correct in so far as it's adaptation by the US oligarchy once WASP led, now totally in the hands of the rootless cosmopolitans. Except what I've described is NOT Fascism let alone German National Socialism. In a Fascist or National Socialist state the oligarchy doesn't control the state, the state = the people control the oligarchy and the party of the movement, expresses and implements the will of the people = the folk. The people in effect tell the multi-nationals what it wants and the party makes sure it's done. This is true socialism not the Marxist swindle. There's always a hand up, but never a hand out. Compare this to so called "democratic capitalism" AKA oligarchic corporate war machine. Where I push back a bit is Mussolini didn't understand Hitler. Mussolini saw the May 10th 1940 campaign victory as the Germanization of Europe. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hitler did not want to conquer Europe. After the stunning victories Hitler throughout 1940 offered genuine and generous peace terms. He wanted an end to the war and the withdrawal of all German forces from occupied nations. He was rebuffed and mocked every time. Mussolini was bedazzled by the thoughts of "empire" and ill preparedly attacked nation's on the German coat tails. Hence his disastrous defeats in North Africa and Greece and the Italian navy not taking advantage of it's superiority to the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean and attempt an offensive to capture Malta. This would've been a Mediterranean game changer. In short I admire many aspects of Mussolini's writings, thoughts and his government. But also look askance at his too emotional thinking, his unrealistic goals militarily and his lack of understanding his ally.

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EntangledWeb's avatar

Wow In the contemporary tale of the history of Mussolini he is portrayed as a a sort of lackey to Hitler and a bit of a buffoon. Very eye opening Helena

Thank you

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