A Moderate Fascist?

Can somebody who is a moderate centrist be a fascist? It might seem like a stupid question but it  does have merit. Especially if we probe what the word term fascism actually means. It gets thrown around a lot, typically as a pejorative.  And for the most part it's typically employed as an idea of some Force trying to impose radically offside ideas. But that's not what the term fascist means.

The term originates in Rome. The latin word fasces which meant bundle of sticks, was also the term given to the weapon the Lictors who served as bodyguards for the Roman Consuls used. It served as a symbol of power. And more to the point in modern times it has come to be power that is concentrated in a single spot.

 It doesn't have an inherent right or left connotation to it. Any government that seeks to concentrate power in a single location could be considered fascist as far as the technical definition goes. it might be better to look at it as the government allows opposition to what it's doing.

It's this point that's crucial. any government that considers itself open has to allow the opposition to be able to function. Too often we see governments calling themselves democratic to try and curb what the opposition is allowed to do or say. This inherently a dangerous start is something that can turn into much more problems.

If one starts with the idea of governments having to deal with opposition that they don't like it's helpful. The entire idea of most free forms of society revolve around the idea that one can criticize what those in authority are doing. When a government regardless of what it considers itself or what its policies are starts to crack down on  opposition  it is the beginning of the road that leads to a totalitarian state.

The right to be able to have differing points of view is fundamental to that free society. It's here where a fascist state regardless of how the particulars of it are organized is rooted. Any government that seeks to try and eliminate any alternative viewpoints is at least in its infancy towards the idea of fascism. Power becomes concentrated in a single spot and no one can question. 

So is it possible for somebody who's a moderate to be a fascist? Yes, all they have to do is make sure that there's no legitimate means to question what they're doing. Fascism relies on the idea of power being concentrated in a single spot. No matter where that spot is or what policies are pursuing the technical definition still relies on the same point. 

This is the central argument that being allowed to question those that hold authority is fundamental to maintaining a free society. Whether you agree with them or not is irrelevant. Open dialogue remains the cornerstone of any country that values individuals.