Fascism is first and foremost a theory of force of action and violence Before Musolini became a fascist leader, he was a revolutionary socialist of Syndicalist type. Syndicalism taught that socialism could be achieved by “direct action” and “myth”. When Mussolini became a Fascist, he renounced and denounced socialism of his earlier Syndicalist faith, but remained true to its philosophy of “direct action” and “myth”. With him ‘direct action’ became a philosophy of unlimited force and violence at home and unlimited war abroad.
The Fascists came to power by force, maintained themselves in power by force and dreamt of reviving the imperial glories of ancient Rome by force of war and conquests. Hence, according to Mussolini, Fascism is “government for the people over the heads of the people, and, if necessary, against the people.” Fascism was hungry for power. It was aggressive, nationalistic and militaristic.
Fascism repudiates democracy, liberty, equality and majority rule
Fascism does not believe in democracy, and rejects the democratic processes, such as the choice of the rulers by the ruled, elections, majority rule or government by the majority, etc. It also rejects popular sovereignty and equality. It denies that all people are of equal value in the eyes of the State that they should share equally in the benefits of the State. To quote him again: “Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a majority, can direct human society.” So Fascism denies the democratic method of discovering the general will by voting and majority decision. Parliaments cannot express the will of the State because the majority is not necessarily’wiser than the minority.