Google Tells us that the Creator of Fascism was Anti-Socialist: But was He?

Fascism, Nazism and Socialism are all terms which are misunderstood and misused today. Even Google gets it wrong, such as when it says historically false things regarding key historical figures.

“Fascism is a form of socialism, in fact, it is its most viable form.”

- Giovanni Gentile, philosopher and author of the “doctrine of fascism,” which he wrote in conjunction with Benito Mussolini.

Benito Mussolini of Italy is well-known as being the father of fascism. As far back as elementary school, most of us were taught that fascism was a not just a right-wing form government, but one that was on the far right-hand side of the left-right political spectrum. In the post-war period, academia was able to convince the American public that the fascists of Italy (as well as Adolf Hitler and the Nazis of Germany) unquestionably fell on the extreme right side of the spectrum, despite Mussolini (and Hitler) never declaring them as such, thereby successfully “establishing” fascism and Nazism as anti-socialist and the opposite of Communism in the period following World War II. This conclusion received very little formal academic scrutiny for many years, and looking back it doesn’t just feel a bit off the mark, but the correct answer now seems quite obvious. Nevertheless, there are many who continue to push the deceptive narrative. For example, Google the question “was Mussolini anti-socialist?” and you will receive the answer: “Yes. Benito Mussolini was anti-socialist. In fact, fascism as a doctrine, and Mussolini himself, were fundamentally opposed to socialism.” But this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Regardless of what Google says, it’s about time that we put this important issue to rest and correct the historical record.

The Origins of Fascism

Although Mussolini originally identified himself as a communist and Marxist, it is true that he eventually came to despise Marxism and communism (as Hitler did as well). This is a well-known fact; one that is not disputed. But declaring that fascism is to the right of Marxism/Communism isn’t really saying much, given that everything is on that side of them. The important question is to confirm exactly how much farther to the right is it? To answer this question, it is relevant to observe that Mussolini’s domestic goal was the eventual establishment of a totalitarian state and that he was fundamentally opposed to democracy, viewing it as a weak and failed system. Not being a fan of individual liberty, Mussolini did not favor elections and eventually appointed himself as supreme leader of Italy. This suggests that Mussolini and fascism would fall somewhere to the left of Democracy on the political spectrum, and not on the right as many have been taught. The truth is that fascism resides at a point between Marxism, on the far left, and pure Democracy, which falls somewhere near the middle.

To aid in this discussion, a high-level view of the political spectrum is displayed below. Given the two major components of Mussolini’s fascism (one being nationalism, and the other being socialism), and due to its clear socialist origins and its disdain for Democracy, Mussolini’s fascism would fall to the left of the “moderate” classification found at the center of the line, ultimately resting somewhere to the east of (but still within) the “socialist” sub-category. In other words, nowhere near the far right-hand side of the line, and not even necessarily anywhere close to the middle.

Source- Reddit

But can such a conclusion really be so simple and/or obvious given that we Americans have been force-fed a different answer for so many years? We know that Mussolini despised Marxism/Communism (as representing his chief rival for working-class support) because of its internationalist focus and due to its egalitarian precepts, but we also know that Mussolini didn’t begin his political career at any point on the traditional right. For example, he was not a monarchist, an industrialist, a laissez-faire capitalist, an aristocrat, a military officer (his highest rank achieved in the military was corporal) or an outspoken practicing Christian. Before he became leader of Italy, Mussolini was a socialist politician and a journalist. It is true that he did eventually consider himself a “nationalist,” but patriotism, love of country, and love of your country’s history are not exclusive to the political right (which is illustrated by the fact that nationalism actually began as a left-wing movement in France during the French Revolution and the French Revolutionary Wars).

So what exactly was Mussolini from an ideological standpoint? We know that his political career formally started when he joined the left-wing Italian Socialist Party (PSI) in 1912, although prior to that he had already established himself as a practicing socialist. In 1910, he was appointed editor of the weekly publication La Lotta di Classe (The Class Struggle). Later, he became the editor of the official Socialist Party daily newspaper Avanti! (Forward!). While it is true that he was eventually kicked out of the Party, it was only due to his stance on the war (World War I) and his support of intervention—and was not as a result of a change in his socialist beliefs. In short, the roots of fascism, while certainly also pro-Italy nationalist, were solidly left-wing, and not the opposite as has been taught in our schools over the years.

Fascism as “Left” or “Right”

So where did the idea of Mussolini and fascism being right-wing originate from? Interestingly, Mussolini himself never said it, but instead, at some point in the 1920s he described his unique ideology as “tending to the right.” As an anti-communist, Mussolini no doubt viewed his unique ideology as falling to the right of Marxism/Communism. But the important question that should be asked is exactly how far to the right did he mean? Apparently, no one at the time thought to ask him, even though the answer is actually quite simple. What has been missed by many in our modern times is that the concepts of “tending to the right” and “all of the way to the far right” are two very different things.

Essentially, from a historical perspective Mussolini’s fascism is understood to have co-opted the popularity of socialism—as well as the popularity of nationalism/patriotism—among the people of Italy. Fascism, a new type of big-government socialism, was simply a less left-wing alternative to Communism and the ideology of Karl Marx, and to other forms of socialism that existed at the time. Specifically, fascism was a progressive—not a conservative—ideology; a unique brand of patriotic (and autocratic) socialism that Mussolini created, and not a new “right-wing” form of governing.

Yes, Mussolini was a nationalist, but that does not automatically make him a man of the right. It is true that he had a strong love for his country and his country’s history. But while this characteristic is known to be common to modern day conservatives in the U.S., it is a position that, except for Marxists and Communists, is held by people throughout history who are on both sides of the political line (Mahatma Gandhi of India is one example). Furthermore, according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics, one of the main characteristics of the political right is its opposition to socialism. By definition then, it is impossible for Mussolini and the fascists to be considered as being on the political right and at the same time having practiced a form of socialism. In other words, in order to fall on the right you must oppose socialism, authoritarianism and big government in any of its various forms—which Mussolini never did. Therefore, with regards to fascism, because of its anti-democratic principles and its adherence to and promotion of fundamental aspects of big-government socialism, it belongs on the Left.

Anti-Communist poster put out by the Italian National Fascist Party in 1924.

But what about the economic aspects of fascism, specifically that Italy allowed the private ownership of property? Although many attempt to present this as proof that the fascists were right-wing, private property ownership, while offensive to Marxists and Communists, is not a right-wing concept and is found in all forms of government which appear at the middle of the spectrum. Furthermore, while it is no doubt a complex issue, the simple fact is that while the fascists of Italy did allow private ownership of the means of production, they exercised significant control over economic activity and large corporations.

But didn’t Mussolini and his Party have a strong racist undercurrent, as evidenced by Mussolini declaring black people and Jews as “inferior,” and viewing high birthrates in Africa as a threat to the “white race”? Yes, this is true, however racism should not in any way be considered in the political equation, as “right” and “left” are words that are only used to describe one’s political philosophy. The hatred of different classes of persons is not a political ideology (as someone should remind Hamas) and has nothing to do with what individuals believe is the best way to operate politics/government. Certainly, racism can be weaponized as a tool of the state (and/or used for different purposes by either far-right or far-left groups), but by itself it is simply hate and nothing more.

What’s in a Name?

So how, despite clear evidence, did fascism and Mussolini (as well as Adolf Hitler and the German National Socialists) end up being labeled as right-wing? It appears that after World War II, progressive academics (who tend to favor socialism) were not—and today are still not—anxious to admit that fascism or Nazism was a form of (and therefore exclusively connected to) socialism. And why would they? It is more than a little unflattering to their cause, and gives them a bad name to be ideologically tied to Mussolini and fascism (or to Hitler and Nazism). Furthermore, how could any progressive left wing activist be expected to “sell” and “market” their specific favored brand of big-government socialism to the masses when it was tied to something as horrible as fascism?

Thus we can see the origin of, and the rationale for, the contrived long-standing argument currently parroted by Google that Mussolini was an anti-socialist. This is despite that: 1) his personal political origins were clearly and strongly embedded in socialism; 2) he always maintained that he was a (national) socialist and supporter of the legacy of Italian national socialists; 3) he continued to promote the idea of a revolutionary vanguard elite to lead society; 4) he believed in the absolute power of the state, and 5) he only claimed a dislike of certain forms of socialism (what he considered to be traditional and/or “orthodox” socialism). It should therefore come as no surprise that because of the inherent weakness of their original argument, it later became advantageous to the success of the narrative of socialists, and to the success of the advancement of socialism both in the U.S. and worldwide, to pin the badge of fascism on someone else—namely the opposing political side.

As we are all painfully aware (thanks to Orwell, who was a socialist), when incorrect statements are repeated enough times in an effort to change history, there are many who will eventually come to accept them as true, particularly those who are anxious to believe. But as surprising as it may sound to some—and despite what Google says—Mussolini and the fascists of Italy were not anti-socialist, and Mussolini, while a dictator, was a not a right-wing dictator. All one needs to do is look to the clear historical facts to see that Mussolini’s fascism, while residing closer to the far side of the socialist sub-categorization (i.e., farther away from Communism than other forms of socialism) because of its nationalist and economic (private property) elements, still falls squarely on the left side of the dividing line of the spectrum as yet another left-wing totalitarian ideology which requires citizens to subordinate their personal freedoms to the interests of the “common good” of the state.

A Dose of Reality

Although some have certainly tried to forget the past, it cannot be ignored. Mussolini was and always remained a socialist, although Google, academia, and many others continue to tell us that he was not. While many, including Google, have conveniently branded him as “right-wing,” Mussolini never claimed to be as such, and in fact, claimed the opposite. After decades of finger-pointing in the direction of conservatives, false statements continue to deceive the general public, and it only takes a quick dose of reality to expose that the labeling of conservatives and Republicans as “right-wing fascists” isn’t just historically wrong, it’s ridiculous.

So what exactly is fascism?

The answer: fascism is an, authoritarian, totalitarian, collectivist, big-government, revolutionary, anti-religious (and admittedly nationalistic and pro-military) brand of socialism.

You can claim not to believe in Mussolini’s unique brand of socialism, but from an intellectual standpoint, you cannot deny that he was a man of the Left.

Photo Credit- Britannica, Thought Co and Wiki Commons.