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IPFS News Link • Philosophy: Fascism

Fascism versus Socialism: Take Your Pick

• https://www.fff.org, by Jacob G. Hornberger

I couldn't help but feel sorry for the Brazilian people, given that their choice was between economic fascism, which Bolsonaro represents, and socialism, which Lula represents. What a horrible choice!

But it's not the only time that Latin Americans have been faced with such a choice. In fact, the entire modern-day history of Latin American countries has been a choice between right-wing fascism and left-wing socialism.

One of the best examples of this phenomenon was in Chile in the early 1970s. The Chilean people were saddled with socialist Salvador Allende as president, who had been democratically elected. Then, in a violent U.S.-inspired military regime-change operation, Allende was ousted from power and replaced by the fascist right-wing military general Augusto Pinochet. 

Or consider Cuba. The pro-U.S. fascist dictator Fulgencio Batista, who the Pentagon and the CIA loved, versus the socialist Fidel Castro, who the Pentagon and the CIA hated. 

But as I was reflecting on Latin America, it hit me that the American people are pretty much faced with the same choice, election after election. 

For example, consider the upcoming midterm elections. On the one hand, we have the right-wing candidates, who favor the principles of economic fascism, just like Bolsanaro and Pinochet. And then we have the left-wing candidates, who favor the economic principles of socialism, just as Lula and Allende.