The whole thread is a gold mine.

Glad to see commies being more open about their ideology's tendency to rob and murder.

Often times Communists will claim that “Fascism is Capitalism in decay” or “Scratch a Liberal, and a Fascist bleeds”. These accusations are almost as old as fascism itself, but today I want to respond to a book that is, in my experience, often sited when such claims are made. I’m talking about "Blackshirts and Reds" by Michael Parenti. The first chapter is focused on the so called “Rational Fascism”. The basic idea is that Fascism was supported by industrialists and big landowners. In return Fascism destroyed the revolutionary movement of the left and suppressed the working class in order that industrialists and landowners could rule freely. The reason why I made this response is that after doing lots of research I can only conclude that Parenti wrote the book with deceptive intent. Most of his claims are either outright false or over exaggerated to the point of falsehood.

Some disclaimers before I start: due to the scope of the topic I will mainly focus on Fascist Italy. Secondly most claims by Parenti are hard to trace since there is a total lack of sources for most of what he says. And thirdly this is of course not a defense of fascism. I just want to correct false historical information.

“Workers toiled longer hours for less pay. The already modest wages were severely cut, in Germany by 25 to 40 percent, in Italy by 50 percent. In Italy, child labor was reintroduced.” - Blackshirts and Reds, p. 7

Let’s go through these claims one by one. First of all, the fascist government established the eight-hour work day and the forty-eight-hour work week.[1] Later during 1935 the forty-hour work week was introduced.[2]  It is true that wages were cut in Italy, but this is only half the story. In 1926 Mussolini started the battle for the lira (the forced deflation of the italian currency). As a consequence, the government was forced into price and wage regulations. To manage this task, the “Corporate Committee for action on matters of prices, costs, and salaries” under the Ministry of Corporations was instituted by decree in July 1927.[3] While nominal wages were cut, the real wages stayed relatively stable by the result of price regulations.[4] The last claim is perhaps the most outrages one. Child labor laws were introduced during 1886 and modified in 1902 and looked as follows before the fascist takeover: 12 years minimum age, 15 years for especially hazardous and heavy work, 11 maximum work hours.[5] Italy was comparatively late to introduce child labor laws, since the country was still largely dependent on the agricultural sector. The fascist government did not disband these laws but expanded them with the “The basic law governing child labor” in April 1934: 14 years minimum age, 16 years for especially hazardous and heavy work, 10 maximum work hours.[6] The fascists actually increased the number of children in school. In 1923 the total number of primary school pupils was 3,981,000, in 1936 that number was 5,187,000.[7] This step was only logical for the fascists, since schools were their most effective tool to indoctrinate the youth.

“To be sure, a few crumbs were thrown to the populace. There were free concerts and sporting events, some meager social programs, a dole for the unemployed financed mostly by contributions from working people, and showy public works projects designed to evoke civic pride.” - Blackshirts and Reds, p. 7

“A few crumbs” might be an understatement. The “Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro”, a state managed organization for past time activities for adults, controlled 771 cinemas, 1227 theatres, 2066 theatre companies, 2130 orchestras, 6427 libraries and thousands of sports clubs.[8] All could be accessed at a cheap price for an annual cost of 4 lire. Beginning in 1925 the fascist government implemented a series of social welfare programs. These programs were similar to other western nations of that time, but it must be noted that Italy was comparatively poor. In the December of 1925 a national maternity and child welfare foundation was established. In the May of 1928 insurance against tuberculosis was made compulsory. In 1935 various parastate agencies were created and charged with providing assistance and support for disease and accident, unemployment, old-age and general disability.[9] These insurances had to be provided by all employers and it was unlawful for them to pass the expenses onto the employees.[10] Now to the subject of public works, the fascist made vast use of it. Between 1922 and 1942 4,722 kilometers of railway have been electrified, compared to the 702 kilometers between 1862 and 1922. In the same time period 1 billion 540 million lire were spent for building construction, compared with 60 million between 1862 and 1922.[11] The public works also included the expansion of hydro-electric power and the building of highways besides other examples.

“Both Mussolini and Hitler showed their gratitude to their big business patrons by privatizing many perfectly solvent state-owned steel mills, power plants, banks, and steamship companies.” - Blackshirts and Reds, p. 7

After the March of Rome Mussolini appointed Alberto De Stefani Minister of finance minister, who proceeded privatize state owned organizations like the telephone system and the insurance industry with special decree powers.[12] This period of “fascist liberalism” was meant to combat the state deficit of six billion lire and encourage economic growth. This trend of economic liberalism would however immediately reverse after 1925, the same year Mussolini officially became a dictator. As I already demonstrated before, the fascist government would use more and more state intervention in the economy over time. In January 1933 the Istituto per la ricostruzione industrial (IRI) was organized to save failing business in the Great Depression. Although not intended at first, in 1937 the IRI was made a permanent parastate agency as it controlled industries that were deemed vital for Italies self-sufficiency. As a result, Italy had developed more control over the economy than any other nation except for the Soviet Union. The IRI controlled 77% of iron and 45% of steel production, 80% of shipbuilding.[13] The state owned 21.5% of all quoted companies in Italy. In 1936 the Bank of Italy was nationalized and the whole credit structure was placed under its direction.[14][15] Mussolini used the economic crisis of the thirties to declare the end of liberal capitalism.[16]

I have only responded to a few claims (for which no sources exist) but it should be enought to demonstate that this book should not be trusted when it comes to historical context of fascism. I would like to apologize for any spelling or grammar mistakes. My first language is not English.

[1] A. James Gregor, Italian Fascism and Developmental Dictatorship, p. 257

[2] Nicholas Farrell, Mussolini: A new Life, p. 297

[3] Herbert W. Schneider, Making the Fascist State, p. 208-209

[4] Fabrizio Perri & Vincenzo Quadrini, The Great Depression in Italy: Trade Restrictions and Real Wage Rigidities, see Figure 9

[5] Carl Ipsen, Italy in the Age of Pinocchio, p. 86

[6] Monthly Labor Review, Vol. 57, No. 5 (November 1943), p. 919

[7] Nicholas Farrell, Mussolini: A new Life, p. 299

[8] Ibid, p. 296-297

[9] A. James Gregor, Italian Fascism and Developmental Dictatorship, p. 259-261

[10] Herbert W. Schneider, The Fascist Government of Italy, p. 143

[11] A. James Gregor, Italian Fascism and Developmental Dictatorship, p. 264

[12] Ibid, p. 142

[13] Ibid, p. 158-160

[14] Nicholas Farrell, Mussolini: A new Life, p. 296

[15] Herbert W. Schneider, The Fascist Government of Italy, p. 117

[16] A. James Gregor, Italian Fascism and Developmental Dictatorship, p. 156

Name 1 college economics text book that states anything close to “inflation = price gouging”