Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Communist Russia

Nazis, Fascists, and Communist, Are They Different or the Same Evil in Different Costumes?                          

Growing up, I was taught in school that there is a "left" and a "right" and teachers tried to portray the fascists on the right to be something vastly different from the communists on the left. The U.S foreign policy during the cold war also hung onto this idea, so much so that the U.S supported right wing governments against the communist as if they were a better alternative. An example of this was the United States support of the Apartheid government in South Africa against the communist in Angola. The interesting thing is the far right governments, like the one in South Africa, were just as repressive and brutal as the communist regimes were. The United States was stuck on the traditional spectrum which has a right and a left and that is it. I however like the non-traditional circular political diagram. While not completely accurate, I believe the circular diagram shows more of the truth of politics than the traditional spectrum does. It shows a right and a left in ideology but instead of heading in opposite directions both ideologies curve and end up in the same place: totalitarianism. So in the end the right and left extremist are no different; they want and need complete power.

      Traditional Political Spectrum                                            Circular Political Diagram 


   
Granted they all stem from different desires and goals and at the start there could be made a distinction between right and left but that slowly fades away. The communist in Russia were driven by pro proletariat ideals, the Nazis in Germany were driven by pro race ideology and the fascists of Italy were driven by ideas of a strong Italian Nation. Even with these different goals they ended up in the same place. So while many people automatically relate totalitarianism with racism because of Hitler, a totalitarian regime does not have to be driven by racism just taking the examples of Italy and Russia prove that.
So what does this have to do with us? Well understanding the circular nature of political ideology and seeing that different motives can lead to totalitarian regimes should make us wary of radicals on both sides of the spectrum. Its not only racists that can lead us to totalitarianism but those driven by hyper-nationalism or class issues as well. We must be constantly vigilant and not let ourselves get wrapped up in any form of radical thought, for all radical thought slowly leads to tyranny and slavery.
(Images taken from fhsdfhn.sharpschool.net, www.flame.org and www.thoughtsaloud.com)