Despite those who believe that Karl Marx is still in any way “relevant” and that Social Darwinism is a relic of antiquity, Darwin’s On the Origin of Species succeeded Marx’s Communist Manifesto chronologically and thus “historically.” Swimming yet again against the tide, I believe Darwin was a sharper observer of natural events than was Marx. I believe nature is amoral and hierarchical, but I don’t make the illogical leap from that observation to committing the fallacy of “€œappeal to nature“€ by concluding this is somehow “good.” It simply is, in the same sense that it’s neither good nor evil that one plus one equals two.

If you boil politics down to a struggle between equality and hierarchy, I believe that hierarchies evolve more naturally and that it’s foolish and ultimately disastrous to try and stand in their way. Thus, if hierarchies are natural, there would be no need to espouse or endorse them, since they have no need for dimwitted humans to cheer them along. If nature is itself fascistic, there is no need for fascists.

In economic terms, “fascism” is said to represent a malignant welding of corporations and the state, which is why many people accuse the modern USA of having a fascistic economy. If fascism is defined as financial coercion, the IRS who seizes my earnings against my will is a fascist organization.

Fascism is also commonly defined as an ideology that appeals almost exclusively to males”€”although Sylvia Plath famously said that male fascists hold a strong appeal to females”€”yet again in practice, the most unflinchingly totalitarian individuals I’ve ever known have been female. (Blame the Sisters of Mercy for that.)

Mussolini described fascism as “Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” Well, you can count me out of that poker game, Il Duce.

Fascism is often said to be rooted in Nietzschean philosophy, though I can’t see how someone who constantly derided “herd mentality” would approve of a political doctrine that extols herd mentality.

Fascism is by its very nature collectivist. It demands that the bee surrender his individuality to the hive, and to that every fiber in my being screams, “€œNo way, José!”€

When it comes to individualism v. collectivism, I strongly favor individualism. Thus, I can”€™t honestly claim to be a fascist.

Unfortunately for me, the main problem with being an individual is that you always wind up outnumbered.