I suppose I should try and get this back on track, then:
Nordicßearskin said:
Fascism. Does this ideology, in itself, remain a relevant political philosophy to this day and a legitimate alternative to the current social-democratic system prevalent in most modern nationstates; or has it been, to mangle the musings of an old Trotskyist, consigned to the ash heap of history?
I doubt that Fascism as defined by Mussolini has any modern day relevance. It's hard to actually define fascism because there are hardly any actual "fascists" left now a day to claim ownership of the term, so its' definition is pretty much made by its' opponents. It is therefore applied to any and all sorts of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes that don't necessarily strictly fit he bill.
If the former, what lessons, both positive and negative, can such countries learn from the arguments and results of Fascism?
Positive: the trains ran on time.
Negative: pretty much everything else.
Additionally, are there any areas in your nation's social, political and/or economic aspects in which you would like to see Fascist reforms take place?
God spare me! No.
If the latter, how do you explain such a relatively sudden reversal of fortunes?
The Axis lost the war. The ideology was thoroughly discredited. The Italians hung Mussolini, indicating that perhaps they weren't really that keen on the idea after all, despite the trains.
Could a 21st-century Fascist government conceivably successfully embrace a democratic structure,
Like a Communist party, a Fascist party could theoretically be elected, but they wouldn't stay in power very long unless they changed their tune or subverted democracy. Having said that, there are certain elements of fascism that could coexist with democratic institutions, at least for a time. Being in a more or less permanent state of war is helpful.
Finally, within your own country can you imagine a Fascist revolution in the foreseeable future being i) possible
Aha! The meat and potatoes here. Just as Rome transitioned from a Republic to an Empire, it is possible, indeed likely that this country will transition towards a more authoritarian form of government that may incorporate elements of fascism. There are signs it is already occuring. Many of our founding fathers believed that liberty was a temporary condition and that all societies naturally tended towards tyranny over time. They wrote the constitution to prevent this happening. Time will tell just how good a job they did.
should such an incident take place what do you imagine to be the immediate ramifications?
This country defines itself primarily by its ideals. If those ideals are abandoned, it is not clear what will replace them as a source of national identity. Attempts to unify the country around religion, ethnicity or culture will necessarily fail because the country is too diverse. The country would most likely be torn apart by bloody civil wars and tribal savagery.
Swiss bank accounts, anybody?