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What Is Fascism?Fir-1, therefore, we must know what fascism is. Fascism is a form ot economic nationalism organized to control and direct the capitalist economic system with the object of making it work, under the domination oi a dictator. Allthe dramatic excesses -the mob scenes, the marching shirt brig-aoes. the swastikas, the hounding or Jews, the militaristic jingoism —are merely the externa! trappings.The central core of fascism is an attempt to make the economic system work by controlling it. This of course what socialism attempts. But socialism abolishes profit and private property. Fascism seeks to preserve profit and private property. It divides the economic and political life of the notion into two sections. The political life it leaves to legislatures, public officials geographically arranged The economic life it turns.Each industry halt; its governingbodv chosen within the industry. But this governing group is chosen chiefly by the employers. Labor has a voice but through certain repressive policies that voice is kept very low. Over this economic life the political officials have little to say. But the dictator himself is the final authority ofcourse.The dictator is essential to thisset-up. It won't work in a democracy. It attempts minute regulation of the conduct of every business. It is impossible to get compliance unless there is a luthless d ctator. And where you have a dictator you have appeals to the basest prejudices and to violence until the dictator has killed off allopposition.Peru an F.xample.By this standard there is no doubt tiiat South American countries are on then wav to fascism.In Peru, for instance, Benavidessuspended the constitution, surrounded himself with storm troopers. subjected the country to minute economic regulation, adopted numerous social laws - old age insurance, collective bargaining, three months notice to workersbefore dismissal with severance pay, restaurants for the poor, model villages, huge public work: programs, military preparation.In Brazil Vargas, by a coup d etat. overthrows the constitution and writes his own. proclaims the corporative state, goes military in a big way. Because of this some writeis said he had led Brazil to fascism. But because he took measures against German propaganda and their antics, others aid he had not gone fascist. These latter made the mistake of supposing that going fascist means teaming up w'ith Germany or Italy.Beyond a doubt Brazil is going fascist as are most of the other countries with the possible exception of Colombia.
Newspaper Details
Racine Journal Times
Racine, Wisconsin, US
Wed, Nov 30, 1938
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Arkansas S.
AR, USA 10 Nov 2018
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