Minimally, fascism is tribal violence as government policy. Economics has little to do with it, except for crony capitalism. Hitler said: "The basic feature of our economic theory is that we have no theory at all." He called his party "socialist" only for workers' support. Nazi privatization supported big business interests. They banned new small businesses and raised the average workweek from 40 to 60 hours during the '30s. In its strongest form fascism is totalitarian, necessarily with economic consequences: "We control political forces, we control moral forces, we control economic forces, therefore we are a full-blown Corporative state." - Mussolini, '32 Doctrine of Fascism, but totalitarianism isn't essential.
I see that fascism needn't be reinforced by economic factors.
An absolutist mind-set is sufficient to genuflect before a blustery Strong Man.
However, if Hitler had been unable to capitalize on economic hardship caused by the Great Depression synergized by the oppressive burdens of the Versailles Treaty, I don't think he would have come to power.
Minimally, fascism is tribal violence as government policy. Economics has little to do with it, except for crony capitalism. Hitler said: "The basic feature of our economic theory is that we have no theory at all." He called his party "socialist" only for workers' support. Nazi privatization supported big business interests. They banned new small businesses and raised the average workweek from 40 to 60 hours during the '30s. In its strongest form fascism is totalitarian, necessarily with economic consequences: "We control political forces, we control moral forces, we control economic forces, therefore we are a full-blown Corporative state." - Mussolini, '32 Doctrine of Fascism, but totalitarianism isn't essential.
ReplyDeleteI see that fascism needn't be reinforced by economic factors.
DeleteAn absolutist mind-set is sufficient to genuflect before a blustery Strong Man.
However, if Hitler had been unable to capitalize on economic hardship caused by the Great Depression synergized by the oppressive burdens of the Versailles Treaty, I don't think he would have come to power.