Date: Tue, 7 Jan 2003 14:13:28 -0500
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VirusPerspective

Fascism is a somewhat odd term, encompassing a particularly wide range of meanings. The fasces were originally a bundle of elm or birch rods symbolic of authority in Rome, with the term subsequently being appropriated by Mussolini. At present, the term largely refers to any form of ideology or behaviour congruent with dictatorship and authoritarianism. However,  Nazism, Stalinism and Falangism were all ideologies quite distinct from fascism (and in the case of the first two much more insidious and dangerous to boot).

Since the concept of fascism is so poorly defined, the Italian novelist and [semiotician] UmbertoEco has sought to define a typology of Ur-fascism, the characteristics of which are as follows:

- Cult of tradition leading to a rejection of modernity (e.g. [Catholicism])
- Cult of action for action's sake leading to suspicion of culture
- Dissent is regarded as betrayal (See: OnFreeSpeech)
- Rejection of diversity due to fear of difference
- Fascism springs from indvidual or social frustration
- Xenophobic nationalism (See: [UTistic]) leading to an obsession with conspiracy
- Life is regarded as struggle, pacificism is collusion
- Fascism springs from mob rule or popular elitism
- The only culture is a heroic cult of death
- The will to power is typically evident in the approach to sexual question
- Fascism is based on qualitative populism, that is emotional demagoguery leads to a rejection of forums for rational discourse. In particular, this leads to a rejection of Parliamentary democracy in favour of a direct appeal to popular sentiment.

The Virian might also add that fascism is essentially irrational and not susceptible to reasoned discourse. It is worth noting that a great many of the characteristics he identified apply particularly to the main monotheistic religions.
