Fascism and Communism are both extreme ideologies that have greatly influenced the world we live in today. These two ideologies, each from the opposite pole of the political spectrum, however, do share similarities. The most important similarity between the two ideologies is the fact that people living under both fascist and communist governments lose most of their rights, while the differences that most significantly distinguish the two political ideologies are their economic policy and political goals. The following paragraphs will discuss the similarity and differences between Fascism and Communism, notably using Germany under Hitler and Soviet Union under Stalin as examples.
The importance of a similarity or difference between the ideologies will be defined as drastic change on people’s lives under a government with such ideology. Under such condition, the most important similarity between fascism and communism is that people living under government with either ideologies lose much of their rights, including their rights of security, belief, expression, and many more. Most fundamentally, the right of security is removed as the government of both ideologies have the right to threaten its people with persecution. These threats are issued in conditions when citizens engage in activities that are normally allowed in a truly democratic society. For example, the secret police, which were present in both Nazi Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), cracked down on suspicious oppositions. Moreover, people had no say in the economy as the economic philosophy of both ideologies results in direct or indirect state control of virtually all industries. Fascist regimes used threats to force privately owned businesses to comply with government orders, while Communist governments implement the common ownership of properties and nationalize businesses that follow government orders. On the other hand, rights of belief and expression are severely undermined as religion and most non-fascist/non-communist ideologies were discouraged or banned by their respective (Fascist or Communist) government. Censorship was also prevalently used in both types of regimes. For instance, in Nazi Germany, institutions related to Catholic Churches were shut down, communists were persecuted, and books were burned. On the contrary, the Soviets banned religions, persecuted Russian priests, and forced artists with violence to produce only pro-Soviet art. With the loss of rights, people under both Fascist and Communist regimes are suppressed, shaping the key and most important similarity between the two ideologies.
Some may argue that devotion to the state and the use of violence are the key similarities between Fascist and Communist governments. Although both similarities do shape people’s lives, they are not as important as the drastic diminishment of civil rights. First, even though full devotion to the state is a goal of both ideologies, the reduction of rights is the process undergone to achieve such great devotion to the state; hence, reduction of rights has a greater influence on people’s lives. Second, although the use of violence drastically changed daily lives , stripping people of their rights is a much broader and accurate similarity as it allowed government to use violence. In a society where the right of security is protected, Fascist and Communist will be unable to use violence as a tool to force people to become obedient. Overall, the diminishment of rights is a much more important similarity as it compares the two ideologies in a broader sense.
Two of the most significant differences between Fascism and Communism are their economic systems and political goals. Fascist economic system emphasizes the close bond between businesses and the government in which the regime may influence business decisions, the allowance of private ownership of properties and industries, the production of goods for the benefit of the state, and a state with an independent economy. This system, which benefits the upper class and industry owners more than the lower class, is opposite to that of the communists, which appeals more to the working class. Unlike the Fascists, Marxist economic ideology calls for common ownership of property and businesses, the implementation of the philosophy “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” central economic planning made by the government based on physical units, and an economy that does not use money. With different economic systems that both drastically change people’s lives towards different directions, the difference between the economic policy of Fascists and Communists are veritably important.
Fascists and Communists are people who come from opposite sides of the political spectrum. Fascism, a right wing ideology, promotes conservative political ideals. First, it calls for strong nationalism, which includes the building of a strong nation by strong programs. In Nazi Germany, Hitler built up a strong German military and declared the Aryans (or racial heritage of the white, blond Germans) “the master-race,” and called for them to dominate the world. Second, Fascists wish to strengthen their nation by conquest and wars. Hitler did so through the initial invasion and annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia, then countless other European nations later on. Third, Fascists urge for a political system led by a dictator; this man in Germany was Hitler, while in Italy it was Mussolini. Fourth, Fascists call for their state’s restoration of ancient glory. Hitler promised to restore Germany to its ancient greatness as the center of Europe, when it was the all-powerful Holy Roman Empire; meanwhile, Mussolini claimed that he will restore “the Mediterranean sea back to a Roman lake,” referring to Italy’s glory during its Roman era. On the contrary, Communists call for progressive revolutions to create a world of equality. First, they believe in solidarity with other communist states as the world goes through a communist revolution. Second, Communists expand their influence by helping to spread such revolution. An example is when the USSR helped catalyze a communist revolution in China by training Chinese Marxists into the vanguard of the revolution. Third, ideologically, classical Marxists call for the people to lead the communist state after the communist revolution has helped achieve a socialist society. But this unfeasible event has never occurred, as the vanguards always establish a one-party state led by a dictator, as in USSR, China, Cuba, North Korea, et cetera. Lastly, the goals of Communists is to progress and overcome the evils of capitalism— inequality. As shown from these examples, Fascists and Communists have dramatically different political objectives.
Some may argue that the differences between Fascist and Communist society is more important than the difference in their economic system and political strives, because society has a more direct impact on people’s lives. But this is not accurate because political strives shape Fascist and Communist society. In Germany, ultranationalism led to the German Fascists’ belief of Aryans as the master race, the inferiority of other races, and the denouncement of non-German art. Meanwhile, Communist political strive for global Communist revolution causes its society to theoretically racially equal, unlike the Fascists. On the other hand, economic system of Fascists and Communists carry out their political goals with consequences on society. In Fascist states, the strong connection between industry and government is a result of nationalism and the Fascist ideal of building a rich and powerful state. This results in people’s lack of rights as workers and industry owners, since workers were not allowed to strike and industry owners were not allowed to independently make business decisions. Meanwhile, Communists’ economic equality from common ownership leads to theoretical perfect social equality, since social class is eradicated with a communist economic system. Hence, the most significant differences between Fascism and Communism are their economic system and political goals, as these two characteristics outline the two ideologies’ differences society.
In conclusion, the most important similarities between Fascists and Communists is the undermining of civil rights to implement their drastically different economic systems and political objectives. These Totalitarian governments rule ruthlessly using veritable violence, violating the rights of their people and reversing the progress the Enlightenment had made to call for natural rights. The lack of rights most significantly change people’s daily lives in a broad but accurate sense for people living under governments of both ideologies, while major differences in economic policy and political strives lead to drastic differentiations between the two ideological types of society.
The importance of a similarity or difference between the ideologies will be defined as drastic change on people’s lives under a government with such ideology. Under such condition, the most important similarity between fascism and communism is that people living under government with either ideologies lose much of their rights, including their rights of security, belief, expression, and many more. Most fundamentally, the right of security is removed as the government of both ideologies have the right to threaten its people with persecution. These threats are issued in conditions when citizens engage in activities that are normally allowed in a truly democratic society. For example, the secret police, which were present in both Nazi Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), cracked down on suspicious oppositions. Moreover, people had no say in the economy as the economic philosophy of both ideologies results in direct or indirect state control of virtually all industries. Fascist regimes used threats to force privately owned businesses to comply with government orders, while Communist governments implement the common ownership of properties and nationalize businesses that follow government orders. On the other hand, rights of belief and expression are severely undermined as religion and most non-fascist/non-communist ideologies were discouraged or banned by their respective (Fascist or Communist) government. Censorship was also prevalently used in both types of regimes. For instance, in Nazi Germany, institutions related to Catholic Churches were shut down, communists were persecuted, and books were burned. On the contrary, the Soviets banned religions, persecuted Russian priests, and forced artists with violence to produce only pro-Soviet art. With the loss of rights, people under both Fascist and Communist regimes are suppressed, shaping the key and most important similarity between the two ideologies.
Some may argue that devotion to the state and the use of violence are the key similarities between Fascist and Communist governments. Although both similarities do shape people’s lives, they are not as important as the drastic diminishment of civil rights. First, even though full devotion to the state is a goal of both ideologies, the reduction of rights is the process undergone to achieve such great devotion to the state; hence, reduction of rights has a greater influence on people’s lives. Second, although the use of violence drastically changed daily lives , stripping people of their rights is a much broader and accurate similarity as it allowed government to use violence. In a society where the right of security is protected, Fascist and Communist will be unable to use violence as a tool to force people to become obedient. Overall, the diminishment of rights is a much more important similarity as it compares the two ideologies in a broader sense.
Two of the most significant differences between Fascism and Communism are their economic systems and political goals. Fascist economic system emphasizes the close bond between businesses and the government in which the regime may influence business decisions, the allowance of private ownership of properties and industries, the production of goods for the benefit of the state, and a state with an independent economy. This system, which benefits the upper class and industry owners more than the lower class, is opposite to that of the communists, which appeals more to the working class. Unlike the Fascists, Marxist economic ideology calls for common ownership of property and businesses, the implementation of the philosophy “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs,” central economic planning made by the government based on physical units, and an economy that does not use money. With different economic systems that both drastically change people’s lives towards different directions, the difference between the economic policy of Fascists and Communists are veritably important.
Fascists and Communists are people who come from opposite sides of the political spectrum. Fascism, a right wing ideology, promotes conservative political ideals. First, it calls for strong nationalism, which includes the building of a strong nation by strong programs. In Nazi Germany, Hitler built up a strong German military and declared the Aryans (or racial heritage of the white, blond Germans) “the master-race,” and called for them to dominate the world. Second, Fascists wish to strengthen their nation by conquest and wars. Hitler did so through the initial invasion and annexation of Austria and Czechoslovakia, then countless other European nations later on. Third, Fascists urge for a political system led by a dictator; this man in Germany was Hitler, while in Italy it was Mussolini. Fourth, Fascists call for their state’s restoration of ancient glory. Hitler promised to restore Germany to its ancient greatness as the center of Europe, when it was the all-powerful Holy Roman Empire; meanwhile, Mussolini claimed that he will restore “the Mediterranean sea back to a Roman lake,” referring to Italy’s glory during its Roman era. On the contrary, Communists call for progressive revolutions to create a world of equality. First, they believe in solidarity with other communist states as the world goes through a communist revolution. Second, Communists expand their influence by helping to spread such revolution. An example is when the USSR helped catalyze a communist revolution in China by training Chinese Marxists into the vanguard of the revolution. Third, ideologically, classical Marxists call for the people to lead the communist state after the communist revolution has helped achieve a socialist society. But this unfeasible event has never occurred, as the vanguards always establish a one-party state led by a dictator, as in USSR, China, Cuba, North Korea, et cetera. Lastly, the goals of Communists is to progress and overcome the evils of capitalism— inequality. As shown from these examples, Fascists and Communists have dramatically different political objectives.
Some may argue that the differences between Fascist and Communist society is more important than the difference in their economic system and political strives, because society has a more direct impact on people’s lives. But this is not accurate because political strives shape Fascist and Communist society. In Germany, ultranationalism led to the German Fascists’ belief of Aryans as the master race, the inferiority of other races, and the denouncement of non-German art. Meanwhile, Communist political strive for global Communist revolution causes its society to theoretically racially equal, unlike the Fascists. On the other hand, economic system of Fascists and Communists carry out their political goals with consequences on society. In Fascist states, the strong connection between industry and government is a result of nationalism and the Fascist ideal of building a rich and powerful state. This results in people’s lack of rights as workers and industry owners, since workers were not allowed to strike and industry owners were not allowed to independently make business decisions. Meanwhile, Communists’ economic equality from common ownership leads to theoretical perfect social equality, since social class is eradicated with a communist economic system. Hence, the most significant differences between Fascism and Communism are their economic system and political goals, as these two characteristics outline the two ideologies’ differences society.
In conclusion, the most important similarities between Fascists and Communists is the undermining of civil rights to implement their drastically different economic systems and political objectives. These Totalitarian governments rule ruthlessly using veritable violence, violating the rights of their people and reversing the progress the Enlightenment had made to call for natural rights. The lack of rights most significantly change people’s daily lives in a broad but accurate sense for people living under governments of both ideologies, while major differences in economic policy and political strives lead to drastic differentiations between the two ideological types of society.