The history of the word fascism

In 19th century Italy the bundle of rods, fascio, came to symbolise strength through unity, because whilst each independent rod was fragile, as a bundle they were strong. Fascio came to mean union, band or league in the 1870s and was used by groups of revolutionary democrats in Sicily to describe themselves. 

The word had heroic, revolutionary connotations. Young men who demanded Italian intervention in World War I formed fasci and it was to one of these groups, with no party affiliation, that Benito Mussolini belonged.

The Italian fascists had imitators throughout Europe and beyond until the end of the 1939-1945 war. Since then there have been few who use the word of themselves. 

As Douglas Murray said, the need for fascists (by progressives) far outstrips the supply.

Franco remained after 1945 but he strictly speaking was not a fascist. He was supported by three organisations, one of which, the Falange, was. Salazar was not one either, just another right-wing, reactionary Catholic dictator. 

The interview with Stanley Payne in the National Review that I mentioned below quotes Orwell who said "Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies ‘something not desirable.’” 

The article goes on:

More than 75 years later, the word remains an all-purpose put-down, to Payne’s annoyance. “It has no valid meaning except as a term of abuse,” he says. “It has no coherent content.” It’s also an anachronism. Payne defines “fascism” with precision: “Fascism was a European nationalist mass movement of the early 20th century that wanted to overthrow the liberal system. It cannot be revived in the terms of the cultural, social, and political structures of modern Western countries.” He allows that in the 21st century, there may be such a thing as “neofascism,” but that it’s much less menacing than its etymology suggests: “The basic rule of thumb is that the more ‘neofascism’ achieves any degree of political significance, the more it becomes more moderate and tries to blend in with something else.” He points to last year’s elections in Italy, where a victorious right-of-center coalition includes a party with distant connections to Italian fascism. “It has gone through such a Darwinian species-change metamorphosis that virtually nothing of the original is still present.”

Although it's very tempting to call modern Western European restrictions of freedom, especially freedom of speech, as fascist it is best not to do so. It encourages the misnamed anti-fascist left. 

Nor are Islamists fascists, nor Brexiteers, nor Donald Trump.

Fascism is best summed up by its creator, Mussolini, in his phrase

“Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.”

This is not the political system in Western Europe now, although it sometimes seems like it is. For example, nowadays groups that hate the state are sometimes protected, encouraged and paid by the state.

 Wikipedia defines fascism thus.

Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived good of the nation and race.

I hate all but two of those things: natural social hierarchy, which is an important fact and to be celebrated, and putting the nation before self-interest. They are Christian and conservative principles that Musso incorporated in his creed. 

To quote from an Edwardian poem/hymn that Anglican vicars often refuse to have sung in their churches:

I vow to thee, my country, all earthly things above,
Entire and whole and perfect, the service of my love.