Communism versus Fascism versus Democracy
While communism is a system based around a theory of economic
equality and advocates for a classless society, fascism is a
nationalistic, top-down system with rigid class roles that is ruled by an
all-powerful dictator. Both communism and fascism originated in
Europe and gained popularity in the early to mid 20th century.
What are Communism and Fascism?
As a socioeconomic system, communism considers all property to be
communal — that is, owned by the community or by the state. This
system also stresses the importance of a "classless" society, where there
are no differences between the wealthy and the working classes, between
men and women, or between races. While Marxist communism is the
most common form of communism, there is also non-Marxist
communism.
Contrary to communism's goal of a classless society, fascism upholds a
strict class structure, ensuring that every member of society has a specific,
unchangeable role. Often in fascist societies women are restricted to the
home and child-rearing, and a certain racial or ethnic group is considered
superior, with national and ethnic unity encouraged at the expense of
individuality and diversity. For example, Hitler's fascist regime glorified
the Aryan race and called for the extermination of Jews, Gypsies, and
Poles during World War II. Moreover, other groups with actual or
perceived differences, including homosexuals, the disabled, and
communists, were targeted during the Holocaust.
