Politicians and pundits have tossed around big words this week, including “fascist.” Unfortunately, those same pundits and politicians don’t explain words in nuanced terms, which can leave many of us confused or misinformed. Recently I explored the etymology of “incumbent.” This week, let’s dive into “fascism.”
The origins of fascism – the word
According to Merriam-Webster, the term fascism arises from the Italian word fascio (plural fasci), which literally means bundle and can figuratively mean group. In ancient Rome, officers carried bundles of rods with an ax head attached to clear the way for magistrates. Starting in the late 1800s, fascio or fasci was used to name labor and agrarian unions. In the early 20th century, dictator Benito Mussolini climbed to power, and the members of his political party were called fascisti in Italian. The fascisti used fasces, bundles of rods connected to an ax, to symbolize Italians united and obedient to the authority of the state.
As the result of Mussolini’s influence, fascism entered English as a term to describe a political philosophy or regime that favors nation or race above individuals. A fascist country is usually run by a dictator who imposes a severe social and economic structure and suppresses opposition. Fascism can also describe a tendency toward strong dictatorial control. Here’s the important part to grasp: in a fascist country, a dictator controls the lives of the people and does not tolerate dissent. The regime also tends to favor far right political perspectives and a nationalist agenda. Many fascist dictators held power in the early to mid 20th century, including Fransisco Franco in Spain, Mussolini in Italy, and Adolf Hitler in Germany.
Knowledge is power
I was shocked to learn that fascist parties have existed in the United States. In the late 1930s, several pro-German groups with fascist ideology formed in the states, and one group, the Silver Legion of America, got a fascist candidate for president on a third party ticket. Once Germany declared war on the US in 1941, the group was outlawed.
Words, and their history, are important. I hope you’ve learned something today and will share it during this election.
If you’d like to learn more about fascism, visit these sites:
What other politically charged words are you interested in? I promise to tackle “filibuster” soon!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
This is so interesting — it started out with such a neutral meaning. Yet another example of culture imbuing our lives with meaning. So cool!