Piron said:
Stating that Rexism was the way Belgium was ruled is largely overrating the role Rex and other organisations like De Vlag,... played. They were merely puppets in the hands of the German occupation.
O Rly? Not quite. Rexism played into what the Germans wanted but were they true puppets? Not at all. The Rexists were actually adamant about getting what they wanted and Hitler caved into it almost every time because he liked Degrelle that much. In the end, had Hitler one, Belgium would have been apart of the Greater Germany but in a provincial status where the Rexists could still be in control.
Piron said:
Communism as a political theory is a very valuable system.
Tell that to the 56 million people killed at the hands of Soviet genocide.
Piron said:
But as with most utopian theories in practice these systems are always used and abused by the ruling classes. Fascism, can be non racist, like the Italian fascism, on the contrary, the german fascism, nazism, was based and founded on racial discrimination an suppression. No '-ism' will ever be perfect, communism, fascisme, imperialism,... even democracy (oops thats not even an '-ism') have their flaws.
Every government is a utopian idea put into practice with a dystopian society. You're right though that Nazism was primarily motivated by the ideals of race and being the ubermensche to the untermensche but I do not consider Nazism to be Fascism at all. If anything, it was a cult of personality with ideas from Communism and Fascism. Fascism gets a bad wrap because of the early 20th century and Hitler but what people don't realize is that Benito Mussolini was in power and leading successfully for some 20-odd years prior to Hitler. He was the first to give women the vote in Europe and he pushed across labor reforms that were necessary but not overly zealous.
Piron said:
But stating that fascism is an ok system, I would call that a bit naive and even dangerous. I dont know what country you're from, but it seems it never witnessed a fascist government and what it does to people.
America has never had a totalitarian government and the closest we ever came to it was during World War II with F.D.R. and his practically limitless terms of office that only ended with his death. But that is the thing, America would never function with a fascist government. We have become ingrained with our freedoms and this "politically correct" knowledge that all governments outside of democracy are evil. But for the rest of the world where democracy hasn't turned into a liberal bureaucracy as it has in America, true fascism could work.
Jack said:
Is it just me or is no one bringing up the idea of patriotism? Fighting well for a foreign power is fine...however fighting for a foreign power that is invading your country is something else!
So, let's imagine for a second that Country-A has become split 50% Communists and 25% Republicans and 25% Rexist. Its government is in turmoil and can never agree on anything and our economy is in the greatest depression since our founding. Country-B on the other hand is 90% Fascist, has a stable government, left the depression early and is thriving.
Country-B invades Country-A. Without regard to whether or not Country-B's invasion is
jus ad bellum, what, hypothetically, do you have to be patriotic about in Country-A if your government can't get itself together, your people are starving and there is hope on the horizon with becoming apart of Country-B? At least in the future you can fight for your annexation and liberation if you feel the sudden spur of nationalism.
This of course, is truly hypothetical as a TRUE fascist nation practices isolationism and does not invade other countries.
Jack said:
I frankly don't understand what is so enthralling about someone who turned against his own countrymen, especially following something as heinous as Nazism. What is honorable or compelling about that? I mean if you were a Nazi yourself I suppose it would sound appealing...but otherwise wtf?
Leon Degrelle never turned his back on his countrymen. He did what he believed was best for Belgium and, according to the amount of Belgians that enlisted, they actually agreed with him. He fought on the Eastern and Western fronts with distinction, never surrendered (died in 1993 still fighting through his books) and lived an enviable life. You are so easy to dismiss Leon Degrelle as just another "lunatic fascist" in history but you forget that he was a HIGHLY educated man who was raised in a loving household and loyal to King Leopold III. Rexism was his dream and it was fascism with Catholic morals. To me, there is no government I'd like to live under and fight for more than one with Catholic morals.