A Hugo Chavez, for example, is a Marxist. And a Fascist. At the same time, and I don't think its even possible to separate these elements.
As a practical matter, they go together. You might be able to separate between them in the laboratory, but as you find them in nature they are a single animal.
You're right. It's about control over the middle and lower class. Both groups.
Visited family living in a communist country in the 80's. It was absolutely appalling and a major eye opener.
There was no middle class! Just the ruling elites and those who lived off their scraps.
My cousin who was a bank VP and his wife a teacher had half the living space that I had as a college student!
His dad, a railroad conductor and his wife, a school secretary, half that! 2 fricken rooms with a bathroom and phone down the hall!
This was in Yugoslavia. Russians I've met say the Yugos had a party compared to what they went through under the USSR.
Their major dept. store had one rack of dresses in Zagreb which was right next to the toilet plungers!!!!
As a youngin, this was shocking and reinforced my Russian Grandfather Anti-Bolshevics, pro-small government rants. He went through the revolution and taught me well.