Communism and Fascism

And the parting on the left
Is now parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight
--The Whoe

Socialism is a form of economic organizing in which control of the means of production rests with the state. Rather than consumers ultimately dictating what gets produced and for whom (as in capitalism), bureaucratic planning boards make production and distribution decisions.

While the concepts of socialism have a long history that can be traced back to Greek philosophers, political frameworks for putting socialism in motion are more recent. Of the several frameworks proposed over the past two hundred-plus years, primarily by Europeans, two of them have popularly evolved.

The earlier form, communism, is credited to German born Karl Marx, although many of his concepts were drawn from developers in France and England. Communism espouses equitable distribution of resources in the name of the 'common good.' In its ideal form, property rights and class differences are non-existent, and individuals are supposed to produce according to their ability and consume according to their need. Of course, the strong arm of the state is necessary to confer such equity.

Communism as a political means for socialistic economizing became the rage among European academics and politicians in the mid to late 1800s--particularly in Germany. By the turn of the Twentieth Century, Germany had implemented several social welfare programs patterned on the Marxian ideal.

The devastating effects of World War I and its epilogue soured sentiment for communism among the German people--particularly the part about sharing wealth with comrades worldwide. Political activists, among them an ambitious Adolf Hitler, sensed opportunity in advancing a different brand of socialism--one with a reach that stopped at German borders. The idea was for government to concentrate resource control and distribution among various verticals that were controlled by the state. The proceeds would be shared inside Germany only.

Hitler's National Socialist (i.e., NAZI) Party became the template for similar movements in other countries. National socialism is also known as fascism.

One would think that, because they are both grounded in socialism, that communists and fascists would get along nicely. Historically, however, this has not been the case. In 1930s Germany, communists and fascists fought a bitter battle for power that was ultimately won by Hitler's Nazis. Surviving communists fled and took up residence elsewhere. Subsequently, World War II pitted Germany and it fascist neighbor Italy against the communists heavyweight Soviet Union.

While that war has long since ended, the battle between the two dominant brands of socialism continues, as is currently being demonstrated by street riots pitting fascists against their 'antifa' adversaries.