Much has been written about the political and cultural divide we are witnessing today in the United States. Inevitably, this leads to name-calling, throwing around invectives to describe the other side. The left in particular is constantly throwing out a word to describe their political opponents who they refer to as “fascists.” Party leaders frequently use this term to describe their opposition. The word Fascism has become an epitaph.
What does someone mean when they call others Fascist? The word goes back to Italy as early as 1919. The Fascists, led by Benito Mussolini, wanted to overthrow the government in the wake of post World War I chaos. Frankly, it was a political opportunity to replace an unpopular regime with an authoritative, top-down government. The people fell for it and put Mussolini and has Fascist cronies in charge, where they ruled for more than two decades.