"Small government", "big government", and fascism

[PoetPhilosopher]

Is fascism more rooted in the idea of "big government" or "small government"?

There's a catch to what I said though - in this context, I don't really consider one man a "government".

 

[We Never Know]

Is fascism more rooted in the idea of "big government" or "small government"?

There's a catch to what I said though - in this context, I don't really consider one man a "government".

With one man its dictatorship

 

[Ella S.]

Fascism is inherently totalitarian, which only means that a concentrated national government is given unrestricted power over the private lives of its citizens as the absolute authority over every aspect of a society. This authority is usually consolidated in a single dictator with a personality cult formed around them.

I don't know what you mean by one person being a government or what you mean by "big government" or "small government" in this context. If you're referring to the sliding scale between authoritarianism and libertarianism, then fascism is an extremist authoritarian ideology.

I don't know why you bring up that one person can't be a government. If this is in reference to dictatorship, then I should point out that dictatorial governments have more government workers than just the dictator since they're the ones who are tasked with organizing and carrying out the orders.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I don't know why you bring up that one person can't be a government.

It was because it was probably about 11 o'clock at night when I made the post, and I for some reason didn't have dictatorships on my mind. But I've been corrected.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

I don't know what you mean by one person being a government or what you mean by "big government" or "small government" in this context. If you're referring to the sliding scale between authoritarianism and libertarianism

Not exactly.

When I said "big government", I meant a government with a lot of staff and operatives.

When I said "small government", I meant a government with less staff and operatives.

 

[Ella S.]

Not exactly.

When I said "big government", I meant a government with a lot of staff and operatives.

When I said "small government", I meant a government with less staff and operatives.

Under fascism, all citizens are conscripted to becoming government workers since the government has complete control over every aspect of their lives, especially industry and employment.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Not exactly.

When I said "big government", I meant a government with a lot of staff and operatives.

When I said "small government", I meant a government with less staff and operatives.

I'll explain it another way:

"Efficiency sense"

Basically (and only hypothetically speaking) if a person wanted to be a fascist leader, would they want to scale down the government around them, or enlarge it?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Under fascism, all citizens are conscripted to becoming government workers since the government has complete control over every aspect of their lives, especially industry and employment.

Oh okay.

 

[PureX]

Is fascism more rooted in the idea of "big government" or "small government"?

There's a catch to what I said though - in this context, I don't really consider one man a "government".

Fascism is all about "small government" until it gets control of the government. Then it becomes an absolute dictatorship. We can see this already in the way the would be fascists in the U.S. behave the instant they gain an ounce of control. They immediately become overbearing and absolute dictators, oblivious to the will or concerns of anyone but themselves.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Is fascism more rooted in the idea of "big government" or "small government"?

There's a catch to what I said though - in this context, I don't really consider one man a "government".

It's interesting you left out Communism from the title.

Was that done on purpose?

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

It's interesting you left out Communism from the title.

Was that done on purpose?

I felt adding communism would be tackling too many subjects at once. But I might talk about it more some time.

 

[wellwisher]

Is fascism more rooted in the idea of "big government" or "small government"?

There's a catch to what I said though - in this context, I don't really consider one man a "government".

Fascism is rooted in big Government control, like the Political Left seeks. It believes in indoctrination in schools, instead of education. Fascist will call parents, who complain about indoctrination of children, terrorist, as an excuse to silence them.

Fascism is all about control which is easier to do when the tentacles of Government extend in all directions of culture. The best Government is the one that governs least, which means smaller. The small government, by default, has less control over the citizens, allowing the citizens more freedom.

The Fascists tend to be insecure and paranoid, so they need as much control over the citizens, industry and media as possible. The fascist used to control Twitter, allowing them to do what they do best; censor, shadow band, and create propaganda and misinformation, unopposed. They do not function well without cheating. The Fascist are upset they lost an important propaganda tool, which is now being used to expose who they are.

Free speech is not allowed in a Fascist country since insecurity and paranoia is always center stage due to incompetence. Fascism is about power more than competence. Fascist hate the Constitution, and would like to get rid of it, since it puts the citizens first and regulates the power of Government through checks and balance. The Constitution makes is harder for the Fascists, who then need to figure out work arounds, like the regulatory state, which can makes law without the Fascists leaders having to expose themselves through public votes in Congress. The Supreme Court has found some of this fascist rule by proxy, Unconstitutional.

 

[Stevicus]

Is fascism more rooted in the idea of "big government" or "small government"?

There's a catch to what I said though - in this context, I don't really consider one man a "government".

Fascism is rooted in nationalism more than anything else. It doesn't necessarily require big government or small government as much as it requires zealous loyalty and devotion to the nation-state.

 

[Revoltingest]

Not exactly.

When I said "big government", I meant a government with a lot of staff and operatives.

When I said "small government", I meant a government with less staff and operatives.

Among us loopy anti-government types, "Small" is about
minarchy, ie, governance is the minimum necessary,
ie, provide the basics, eg, defense, cops, courts.

"Big" is about governmental over-reach & micro-managing us.

 

[PureX]

Fascism is rooted in nationalism more than anything else. It doesn't necessarily require big government or small government as much as it requires zealous loyalty and devotion to the nation-state.

But deny them that loyalty and see for fast they become an inescapable force for controlling your life.

 

[Stevicus]

But deny them that loyalty and see for fast they become an inescapable force for controlling your life.

True, although it doesn't necessarily require the apparatus of a large government to make that happen. A single sheriff can raise volunteers for a posse when needed. The government itself can still be small.

 

[fantome profane]

I'll explain it another way:

"Efficiency sense"

Basically (and only hypothetically speaking) if a person wanted to be a fascist leader, would they want to scale down the government around them, or enlarge it?

That is an interesting way to ask the question.

If your goal was total control you might increase the number of low level government employees but decrease (or eliminate) high level government officials.

 

[PureX]

True, although it doesn't necessarily require the apparatus of a large government to make that happen. A single sheriff can raise volunteers for a posse when needed. The government itself can still be small.

Well, one fascist can't threaten a whole nation into obedience and loyalty. He or she needs an army of thugs to enforce compliance. And they need lots of informants willing to turn on their neighbors. So the size and cost of all this 'governance' depends on the resistance. And the resistance will tend to increase as the abuse increases.

 

[metis]

Is fascism more rooted in the idea of "big government" or "small government"?

Big.

 

[Stevicus]

Well, one fascist can't threaten a whole nation into obedience and loyalty. He or she needs an army of thugs to enforce compliance. And they need lots of informants willing to turn on their neighbors. So the size and cost of all this 'governance' depends on the resistance. And the resistance will tend to increase as the abuse increases.

Well, for all intents and purposes, the U.S. was a fascist country through the 19th and a good part of the 20th centuries. We had racism, slavery, atrocities, aggressive expansionism, lynchings, state-sponsored murder and genocide - all the earmarks of fascism, except without a dictator or a big government. (We didn't call it "fascism," either, since that's an Italian word.)

If anything, the government had to get bigger and more centralized in order to prevent fascist atrocities.