Several Other Similarities Fascists and Nazis Share with the Rest of the Left

Chapter 3.5: One big irrational, totalitarian, power-mad family…

Why this book | Title Page | Table of Contents
Preface | Introduction
PART 1
Chapter 1 (1.1) (1.2) | Chapter 2 (2.1) (2.2) (2.3) | Chapter 3 (3.1) (3.2) (3.3)(3.4)(3.5)
PART 2
Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
PART 3
Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14
PART 4
Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 |
PART 5
Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Conclusion
Appendix | Works Cited

---

3.5
Fascism/Nazism vs. Orthodox Leftism

• Other metrics

  • Elitism

  • Anti-rationality

  • Totalitarian vs. authoritarian

  • Power

Other Metrics

Elitism

Elitism can displayed by many movements across any spectrum, making it a secondary characteristic, and thus not useful as a primary unit of measure. However, the fascists, Nazis, and socialists all manifested interesting contradictions on the subject, making it worth a quick look.

Reflecting their leftist roots, the fascists and Nazis began with a standard socialist foundation: rhetoric about eradicating class differences and leveling social distinctions was backed up by economic and social policies designed to achieve those aims. Overlaid upon this, however, was an elitist superstructure. Explicitly rejecting the doctrinal egalitarianism of the orthodox left, they suffused their countries with a sense of superiority: a chosen nation—or race, in the case of the Germans—destined for glory.

The orthodox left had its own contradictions. For all its egalitarian bluster, socialism has never elevated people to equal levels of wellbeing. Rather, socialism is a scythe, reducing everyone to equal levels of privation. Except it’s not everyone—the ruling clique in communist nations are always able to enjoy material luxuries along with their power. No one has summed this up more succinctly than the pigs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

The people of Russia understood this all too well. In August of 1991, I went with a group of students to study for a month at Moscow State University. (You might recognize the importance of the date—it was an eventful time, and I will relate a few more pertinent anecdotes in subsequent chapters.) While there, I met and began dating a lovely Russian woman named Elena, who was studying at what was then called Kalinin State University. One day, while sitting with her and her friends, someone asked me if I knew how to cook anything. (We were all in our early 20s, so it was a legitimate question.) I had recently learned how to bread a piece chicken and put a little lemon on it, so I led with that. As soon as I said, “Lemon chicken,” everyone burst out laughing.

Why were they laughing? Upgrade to find out, and to keep reading this book. So much more to come!