Welcome to CyberEssays Website

Communismvsfascism.Doc

COMMUNISM VERUS FASCISM   (differences)
    First, both communism and fascism are types of authoritarian rule, where the interests and freedoms of the individual are subordinated to those of the state, and quite frequently a powerful leader. Secondly, in many cases both fascist and communist rule are bolstered by a highly powerful military apparatus, as a way to stifle opposition. Thirdly, both types of government are statist, in that the central government has some degree of control over the economic means of production (as opposed to, say a free market, or laissez-faire economy as in the US), and also oftentimes social policy.
    National Socialism (NAZI party) tends to be driven by nationalistic or ethnic divisions. For example, Hitler's NAZI party used populist appeals to ethnic divisions in Germany- especially hatred towards Jews- as a way to gain popular support, whereas fascism places an emphasis on the state above all else, over and above kinship or race.
    Secondly, fascism has strong corporatist elements, where the government has significant control over private enterprise, but does not entirely co-opt it (as in, say, communism). The NAZIs, for example, considered themselves a "Third Way" between laissez-faire capitalism and socialism, in that rather than completely nationalizing industry and taking over the means of production, the government had a very powerful influence.
    Keep in mind a few things, however. There are corporatist elements in many countries that are not fascist, especially some of the East Asian democracies, notably South Korea. Secondly, many nations have strong central leadership and even a powerful autocrat in command of the government, but are neither communist nor fascist. Many political scientists argue about the extent to which generally accepted fascist and communist governments are truly fascist or communist.
    For example, many Italian parties in the post-Mussolini era have labeled themselves "communist", but few...