Fascism vs. Socialism, Part I

So apparently once-famous author Terry McMillan has decided that, because Republicans are obviously against Barack Obama, they are racists and compared them to Hilter by Tweeting "Republicans are behaving just like Hitler did."  Besides the obvious inanity of this statement (a group of well over 10  million individuals behaving like dictator), there is a reflection of a complete lack of understanding on Ms. McMillan's  part.  However, this lack of understanding is actually rooted in a poor education on the roots of socialism and fascism, and this poor education has led to a common misconception that fascism is a "rightist" movement, while socialism is a "leftist" movement.  Hence, Ms. McMillan and other progressives, can claim that Republicans, and most especially conservatives, are fascists and "Nazis", while Glenn Beck and other conservatives can equate President Obama and progressives with Stalin, Mao, and other socialists (well, at least Beck has a point: Obama is an official member of the New Socialist Party...). 

First, we'll look at fascism.  Benito Mussolini is noted as the father of fascism, as he founded the Fascist party in the early 1920s.  What is particular about the fascists is their use of nationalism and a proud history to promote the concept of the welfare of the state over the welfare of the individual.  Such a sentiment was actually at odds with the "left-wing", meaning the socialists and communists, whose idealists dreamed of a world-wide communal utopia with everyone living in equality.  The nationalist-based State-first mentality is a hearken to the absolutist monarchies of the not-too-distant past.  When one looks at France after the fall of the Ancien Regime, nationalism and pride for the greatness of France is often linked with "conservative" monarchists.  Ditto for Italy, Germany and Spain.  Thus, it is no surprise that Hitler's National Socialist Party would gain support from military veterans and conservative elements of the German society.  This is particularly true when one considers that in contemporary Germany, the Weimar Republic was extremely liberal in that Germans had always had a monarch, or another strong single leader (Bismarck).  In Mussolini's Italy, nationalism likewise appealed to a conservative, or right-wing demographic, especially since the socialists in Italy rejected any and all nationalist or country-first action or sentiment. 

Socialism, since its inception, has always been associated with the left.  While fascism used elements and themes linked to traditionally conservative views (strong central government, nationalism), socialism was derived from "new" and "enlightened" ideas that shunned traditional ideologies.  While not universally atheist, socialist originators were essentially secular, whereas conservative and traditional ideologies were based on Judeo-Christian religious tradition.  Likewise, where as conservative and traditional economic models were based on private-property and private ownership, socialism was not.