The Obstacle to Freedoms (Ideologies)
Right after WWI the European continent was socially, economically, and morally devastated, specially the countries that were defeated by the League of Nations, yet the overall backlash from the war was pervasive all around Europe. The WWI aftermath helped philosophers to speak out their word, during this time many ideologies started to pick up around Europe as a way to solve the social problems faced by the societies of the time. Specifically, Fascism spread around Europe as a Nationalistic movement to restore and reunite a determined country's identity and power. Italy and Germany saw in Fascism the answers to get over their obstacles; on the other hand, in Eastern Europe another Ideology was being carved (Communism).
The following pictures belong to such time frame.
picture taken at Tate Modern Museum: Under The Banner of Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin! 1933 Lithograph on paper
One thing that I found really interesting at the Museum of London History was the picture of a political character, whom founded the first Fascist party in England!! I always though that Fascism spread only on Central Europe, yet I was wrong.
People often engage in political discussions to exchange points of view, defend personal beliefs, or even to self-check their personal convictions. By exchanging ideas it is likely for people to join with those who share common beliefs or ideologies, resulting in the formation of coalitions or factions. It is interesting that one can find similarities between ideologies that share similar fundamentals, such as the case of conservatism and fascism, the second being far more right winged than the other. For instance, a conservative individual can share the same beliefs about human nature and government with a fascist, yet when it comes to converting these beliefs into policies one can see the marked differences. If one can find differences among ideologies that are close in the political spectrum, it is to be expected to find greater differences between ideologies further from each other in the political spectrum. Such is the case of fascism and the ideals of Karl Marx.
If ideologies located on the same side of the political spectrum, though similar, can express their beliefs in different manners, what would the difference be in contrasting fascism and liberals or communist? While the Neo-fascist is nationalist, exclusive, and exalts the importance of blood ethnicity; the Liberal is secular, pluralist, and inclusive. Thus the fascist favors Anti-ideological policies, Anti-political/populist policies, and Anti-foreign policies; and the liberal favors Democratic, participatory, and globalist policies.
Regarding Karl Marx view, to him the issue resides on class struggle, where capitalism replaced feudalism, and the bourgeoisie replaced the aristocracy and the monarchy. To him ideology was a web of lies and the history moves around the dialectic concept. Although, both, communism and fascism movements call for revolution, communism preaches a movement of the populace or the proletariat rising from the constant oppression of the dominant class, thus all actions the revolution stands for are the actions on behalf of the proletariat; whereas the fascists’ revolution calls for a reaction on behalf of the state.
In conclusion; beliefs are not facts, thus at the time one decides to follow a doctrine or set of beliefs, one has to be very careful. Although, conservatives and fascists share views regarding human nature and government, by scoping these views with different lenses the result is an equation of disaster, such as the Holocaust has proven. Conservatives can keep their morality by allowing competition, including themselves in the use of prejudice, and supporting democracy.
On my freshman year I had the opportunity to attend at Ellie Wiesel’s lecture and ask him, what where his views regarding nationalism? He said, at the end of his explanation “no ideal should ever be taken to the extreme”. In regimes like China, Cuba, Nazi Germany, Italy under Mussolini, or the Soviet Union the government structure was shaped so that the ideals of the movement defined the political structure. In these regimes, one can find the greatest distortions of democracy that history has shown.
Haroldo Mayaudon, Eckerd College
