Inviting Fascism
A pending conflict between remnants of Communism and Fascism could be averted if the ruling elites really wanted to avoid a resurgent war.
“Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places (Matthew 24:7).”
We don’t know exactly when Jesus’ prophecies will be fulfilled, but we see nations fighting against each other more and more. And new threats are looming over the horizon. Christian leaders opposed both fascists and communists in the 20th century. In Tucker Carlson’s recent interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin the thug authoritarian made a point to call out the Russian goal of denazification of Ukraine, after his soliloquy on Rus history. As Ben Franklin observed: “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”1
Add to this list of certainties, war.
World War II was steeped in the conflict between communism and fascism that had been brewing for decades. We must be aware of both threats in America today.
The United States fought with Soviet Communists to defeat German Nazis who were part of an axis of like-minded nations. However, the USSR had signed the Molotov-Ribeentrop treaty with Hitler’s regime in 1939.2 The problem between Nationalist Socialists and Bolshivick Communists was only a matter of who was on top. This was an internecine clash between competing left-wing radicals. Germany was deeply deceptive and highly aggressive using Italy and Japan in their alliance of expansionist powers. Together they represented nationalistic forces within other nations, including Vichy France, that rejected a Marxist brand of socialism.3
Spain’s Civil War resulted in the ascension of the Nationalist dictator Fransico Franco to power from 1939-1975 (over 25 years!). He was supported by fascist Italy and Germany in his rise to power, yet maintained neutrality during WWII.4 These nations and movements were all labeled as fascists, even though the term originated in Italian politics and was loosely applied to other ideologies. It has become a shorthand for reactionary forces that misuse a brand of tradition to put down popular uprisings and riots. This conflict is framed by the US media as battles between populist leftists (who are never totalitarian genocidal murderers) against right-wing extremism, overly nationalistic and xenophobic forces.
Today, an elite class is using its power to control the masses. They are doing this by stoking the flames of a long-running conflict that began in the 20th century. The battles and wars between communists and fascists wrecked Europe for much of the early 1900s. As Vladimir Putin referenced this long-standing hatred and conflict he made a point to call out the Canadian Parliament and by extension Western media who cheered for a Nazi collaborator who fought in WWII against the allies in the SS Division Galicia of the Waffen-SS. In September 2023, Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian Canadian, was invited to the House of Commons of Canada to be recognized. Putin offered a sop to Americans who supposedly share his distaste for nationalist socialism. And it was a slap in the face of foolish globalists who claim to oppose Nazism. We don’t see this confrontation the same way in America as Europeans do. We have been trained to be more opposed to the ideas of Hitler more than Stalin but both of these evils are still at large.
Communists are not going to stop using fascism as a foil to accomplish their godless goals. Chinese, Cambodian, Chilean, Cuban, and Venezuelan Communists claimed that the threat of nationalism was so great that they had to eradicate any opposition to Marxism. Essentially, they said that unless their atrocities took place - worse horrors would occur. This gave communists cover to exterminate over 100 million people. Therefore it is incumbent upon us to lead well by building Christendom to prevent the spread of fascism so that we can end the threat of communism. Elites favor using communism, atheism, and liberalism to accomplish their goals - but they must have an enemy worthy of the massive takeover they desire. This is where the fascists come in. They are the means to broad-brush any opposition to communism as radical violent extremists worthy of termination.
We must understand the tendency for nationalist policies to be coopted by radicals like Hitler who claim to develop a new way of life on the back of a twisted interpretation of tradition. Below is a piece of real anti-fascist scholarship to be used as a means to prevent fascism from taking hold in the United States. Umberto Eco is not a communist, but he saw the threat of fascism in his backyard. If we do not prevent fascism from rising, we will lose to communists who will organize resistance to this threat.
The following list is 14 points taken from the book Ur-Fascism (1995) by Umberto Eco. It was also called “Eternal Fascism: Fourteen Ways of Looking at a Blackshirt.” Direct quotes are italicized. Eco grew up in Italy under the reign of Il Duce, Benito Mussolini. He reflected on the contrasts between the Italian version of Communism supported by Antonio Gramsci and the Red Brigades (Brigate Rosse) that murdered Aldo Romeo Luigi Moro, an Italian statesman and a prominent member of the Christian Democracy Party (DC), and the fascist movement in his country. We will comment on these ideas.
The cult of tradition. Characterized by cultural syncretism, even at the risk of internal contradiction, this is a misuse of conservative impulses. “One has only to look at the syllabus of every fascist movement to find the major traditionalist thinkers. The Nazi gnosis was nourished by traditionalist, syncretistic, occult elements.” When tradition reveals all truth, no new learning can occur, only further interpretation and refinement. — Forcing the Bible to conform to your political will makes it no longer a matter of Truth. “For the word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12-13, KJV).
The rejection of modernism. This views the rationalistic development of Western culture since the Enlightenment as a descent into depravity. “The Enlightenment, the Age of Reason, is seen as the beginning of modern depravity. In this sense (fascism) can be defined as irrationalism.” — Eco distinguishes modernism from technological advancement and points to the way that positivism and modern philosophy are culprits in this cultural theft. Many fascist regimes believe that industrialization is proof positive of their success, but these jobs rob people of their dignity and self-respect.
The cult of action for action's sake. This dictates that action is of value and should be taken without intellectual reflection. “Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation.” — Anti-intellectualism and irrationalism become attacks on science by fascists. Just do it they scream. We should embrace thoughtful action based on preparation and deliberate practice, not mindless behavior. So, a culture that attacks the masculine virtue of thoughtful and protective instincts will create chaos and confusion.
Disagreement is treason. “The critical spirit makes distinctions, and to distinguish is a sign of modernism. In modern culture the scientific community praises disagreement as a way to improve knowledge.” – Fascism devalues intellectual discourse and critical thinking as barriers to action. Any such spirit-lead analysis will expose the contradictions embodied in a syncretistic faith. All cults wither when exposed to sunlight and truth.
Fear of difference. “The first appeal of a fascist or prematurely fascist movement is an appeal against the intruders. Thus (fascism) is racist by definition.” – Fascism seeks to exploit and exacerbate divisions often created by political opponents. Conflict is created through racism or an appeal against foreigners, but rarely with class populism against wealth even though the upper class may oppose fascism. Communism on the other hand uses class and racial differences through immigration and anti-colonialist sentiments to provoke a reaction out of fascists.
Appeal to social frustration. “One of the most typical features of the historical fascism was the appeal to a frustrated middle class, a class suffering from an economic crisis or feelings of political humiliation and frightened by the pressure of lower social groups.” —Where fascists appeal to the white-collar management and middle class, communists appeal to politicized lower, working-class labor. Fascists fear economic pressure from the demands and aspirations of rising social groups.
Obsession with a plot. “Thus at the root of the fascist psychology, there is the obsession with a plot, possibly an international one. The followers must feel besieged.” – By emphasizing a threat, the fascists gain ground. It helps when communists form this threat. Once group-based fears are met with disloyalty and sabotage by these minorities’ hatred is sparked. Eco cites the globalist New World Order conspiracy theorists in the 1980s as a prominent example of a plot obsession – regardless of the international intentions of the WEF now.
Accusations of strength and weakness. “By a continuous shifting of rhetorical focus, the enemies are at the same time too strong and too weak.” – Fascists rhetorically cast their enemies as paradoxically both strong and weak. Fascists leverage the abuse of power by elites to encourage a sense of fear. Yet, they often criticize the establishment for their iniquity and assume that this rot will weaken their plans. If only evil men and women looked at themselves in the mirror saw the same wickedness and were ashamed.
Pacifism is trafficking with the enemy. “For fascism, there is no struggle for life but, rather, life is lived for struggle” and “life is permanent warfare.” – Enemies are around every corner for the fascist. A nation will never win a perpetual war because it is in the interest of fascist leaders to maintain a war footing. We’ve seen this with the neo-con’s Forever War mentality. Unfortunately, this militarism erodes American ideals of valor and bravery when soldiers are sacrificed for empire.
Contempt for the weak. “Elitism is a typical aspect of any reactionary ideology.” – So, the elites are keeping the people down through financial slavery therefore a new breed of a strong man is needed to throw off these shackles. This is the new elite class as members of the fascist party. In-group motivations are powerful, and belonging to the group gives power to any individual. The fundamental conceit of a fascist nation is the use of power by the dictator and his underlings in the self-aggrandizement of the party and thugs.
Everybody is educated to become a hero. Eco notes, "The fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death." Also, “In Fascist ideology, heroism is the norm. This cult of heroism is strictly linked with the cult of death.” – Therefore, a death cult rises around the sacrifice of men to the machine. This is akin to the martyrdom of radical Islamic jihadists. Proper heroism is vanquished and replaced with folly.
Machismo and weaponry. “Machismo implies both disdain for women and intolerance and condemnation of nonstandard sexual habits, from chastity to homosexuality.” Perceptions of sexuality are the battleground in the minds of the masses. Some radicals will entertain perversion and some reactionaries will hold to monogamous marriage. Red-pilled bloggers and LGBTQ are both confused by their own fleshly desires and mixed messages. Relativism has taken over ethics and people try to get away with as much sin as possible even as this corrupts their soul.
Selective populism. “There is in our future a TV or Internet populism, in which the emotional response of a selected group of citizens can be presented and accepted as the Voice of the People (Vox populi)).” – A mass movement needs a brand. Populism is an important force in American politics, but it is not a guide to truth. Democracy is not a universal good alone. Direct democracy is a path to destruction. We get the government we deserve, good and hard. Therefore we must become better people to gain better leaders. “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).”
Newspeak. “All the Nazi or Fascist schoolbooks made use of an impoverished vocabulary, and an elementary syntax, in order to limit the instruments for complex and critical reasoning.” – Initially this is part of the role of reaching the masses for indoctrination. However, communists have determined how best to use education to spread liberalism. Fascism offers resistance and will fight communism over the dictionary. But this is the means toward truth but another version of lies. Academics have altered speech and thus affected the culture in America, and the media and government institutions are enacting measures to control speech and thought. This will create another backlash.
The problem with all these predictions about the rise of fascism in 1995 is that they require a foil. The foil is an opposition force that invites fascism and a means to take power and control. There must be a thesis to assert the antithesis and form a synthesis in the Hegelian dialectic of destruction. And we are either caught in the middle – or we find a way out of the Gordian knot of war. The only solution is true faith in the Prince of Peace and Lord of Hosts and Angelic Armies. Then we may take prayerful action to protect our family and way of life from these warmongers.
Sparks, Jared (1856). The Writings of Benjamin Franklin, Vol. X (1789-1790). Macmillan. p. 410.
Ronen, Yaël (19 May 2011). Transition from Illegal Regimes under International Law. Cambridge University Press. pp. xix. ISBN 978-1-139-49617-9.
Julian T. Jackson, France: The Dark Years, 1940–1944 (2001).
Payne, Stanley (2012). The Spanish Civil War. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 110. ISBN 978-0521174701.