Although our modern socialists' promise of greater freedom is genuine and sincere, in recent years observer after observer has been impressed by the unforeseen consequences of socialism, the extraordinary similarity in many respects of the conditions under "communism" and "fascism." As the writer Peter Drucker expressed it in 1939, "the complete collapse of the belief in the attainability of freedom and equality through Marxism has forced Russia to travel the same road toward a totalitarian society of un-freedom and inequality which Germany has been following. Not that communism and fascism are essentially the same. Fascism is the stage reached after communism has proved an illusion, and it has proved as much an illusion in Russia as in pre-Hitler Germany."-- F.A. Hayek, The Road to Serfdom
No less significant is the intellectual outlook of the rank and file in the communist and fascist movements in Germany before 1933. The relative ease with which a young communist could be converted into a Nazi or vice versa was well known, best of all to the propagandists of the two parties. The communists and Nazis clashed more frequently with each other than with other parties simply because they competed for the same type of mind and reserved for each other the hatred of the heretic. Their practice showed how closely they are related. To both, the real enemy, the man with whom they had nothing in common, was the liberal of the old type. While to the Nazi the communist and to the communist the Nazi, and to both the socialist, are potential recruits made of the right timber, they both know that there can be no compromise between them and those who really believe in individual freedom.
What I see happening is them using the economic ideas of fascism, with the social ideas of Communism, since the racial purity & aggressive nationalism themes of fascism are so discredited.
But getting back to Hayek, the key point is that there is no reason to spend much time arguing about fascism vs. Communism, as there isn't much difference between the two from the standpoint of "the liberal of the old type". Realize that Hayek was writing in the 1940s, before the Left appropriated the term to mean "another word for socialist". When he said "the liberal of the old type", he was talking about someone who truly believed in individual freedom and a minimalist State, what we call today a conservative.
We agree and disagree. I disagree that there isn’t a nickel’s worth of difference between the two. Look at China under Mao (communist economic model) vs. China today (fascist economic model). I agree that there isn’t a nickel’s worth of difference between the two morally or in terms of the freedom and rights of the citizen (the citizen has none). I think conceptually it’s worth discussing (not arguing about!) and have a general idea that if the blockheaded “useful fools” of the communists, if they would realize they are supporting fascism it might jolt them out of their slumber.
"I just say this crap with a big smile. That way
all the sap-happy libs wet themselves in adoration."
With the Van Jones and Obama-trons we have new standards of racial purity. If you are a white male you can go f yourself unless you accept being dominated by kooky unscientific third world ideologues
But getting back to Hayek, the key point is that there is no reason to spend much time arguing about fascism vs. Communism, as there isn't much difference between the two from the standpoint of "the liberal of the old type".
I agree with Hayek up to a point... One big difference is communists want to destroy religion and the family. Communism should replace those two. Fascists such as Franco in Spain are traditional as far as faith and family. Their fascist state is not competing with the family and religion but communism most definitely is
Realize that Hayek was writing in the 1940s, before the Left appropriated the term to mean "another word for socialist". When he said "the liberal of the old type", he was talking about someone who truly believed in individual freedom and a minimalist State, what we call today a conservative.
” What I see happening is them using the economic ideas of fascism, with the social ideas of Communism”
Exactly.
You have it nailed.