Words Are Weapons: Comparing Fascism and Communism

Words have meaning. In the maze of nations and systems, respect for people is paramount, and words convey that in any language. Finding ways where all can survive and thrive is essential.

When extremes of control squelch the freedom of people, destruction of life and property results. These extremes fall into two similar, but different, ways. On the extreme right is Fascism. On the extreme left is Communism. Examine both to clarify why each inevitably fails throughout history. Fascism and Communism start out with high, lofty goals for prosperity. That is why people fall for the lies and accept the extremes instead of the middle ground of reason and respect.

Fascism

The origin of the word fascism was in Italy in the 1920s.

Fascism is a system of government led by a dictator who typically rules by forcefully and often violently suppressing opposition and criticism, controlling all industry and commerce, and promoting nationalism and often racism.

The word is sometimes capitalized, especially when it specifically refers to the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini in Italy from 1922 to 1943, or authoritarian systems similar to his, including those of Adolf Hitler in Germany and Francisco Franco in Spain.

Fascism can also refer to an ideology based on this form of rule, or to the use of its methods. More broadly, fascism is used to refer to any ideology or movement seen as authoritarian, nationalistic, and extremely right wing, especially when fundamentally opposed to democracy and liberalism.

Illustrations of fascism abound. One movie, The Book Thief, graphically illustrates the consequences for individuals. Words are weapons as noted in “The Book Thief and the Power of Words.”

Hitler’s weapon of choice? Words. It is a well-accepted fact that Hitler was a great orator. He knew how to rile up the passions of an entire nation to achieve his vision of future. He molded an entire nation using his words, every speech firing at the crowd like a machine gun, each word hitting people like a burning bullet. When they burn books, they are not merely taking away books from people. They are taking away words. And in times of crises, words are weapons. Words are the bullets people can use to attack the totalitarians and protect themselves. Mass book burnings, hence, were designed to render a population weaponless that can be gunned down till their wills break.

Words exaserbate the power lust of self-centered people to control others.

Words can harm.

Words are weapons in both Fascism and Communism. When theories are lies and put into practice, people suffer.

Communism

On the other extreme, the deception of the extreme left — new age Communism — uses words to promise prosperity by “leveling the playing field” of wealth. George Orwell in his allegory Animal Farm clearly illustrates their agenda and the results using animals who take over the farm and then set up their own governing principles. The book was published in 1945 about the Russian Revolution, and a movie was made in 1999.

Associated with the overthrow of establishment, the revolt against authority then morphs into anti-everything chaos, that creeps back into overt control with left-wing imprisonment and death for anyone who disagrees with the ruling party.

Communism is an ideology or system based on the idea that the property of a community should be owned collectively and shared among everyone. In such a system, there are ideally no classes and everyone has equal power.

In a purely communist system, no one owns property individually. For example, people may work at a factory, but ownership of the factory or the machinery inside is collective and equal. The things made at the factory are shared by everyone or given to the people most in need of them. Under this form of communism, no one becomes richer than anyone else and so there are no economic classes of wealthy and poor.

In contrast, under a system of capitalism, the majority of property is privately purchased (with money) and owned, and the law protects the possession of it. In capitalism, a wealthy class often owns the businesses and a less wealthy class works for the business owners.

Communist countries such as Russia and China are often in conflict with capitalist countries. In fact, the Communist agenda is clearly spelled out and actively pursued to undermine and overthrow other governments where individual freedom and responsibility exist.

These extreme dynamics are also evident in left-wing and right-wing violence. Nobody wins when rulers want to control others at any cost by hostile takeovers by using their words to incite destruction of lives and property.

Extreme makeovers are more alike than they are different.