The mystery of fascism

David Ramsey Steele on the roots of fascism and its links to left and right.

Steele is someone I got to know when I was a graduate student at Chicago as he was married (at the time) to another student in the program and both of them were part of the libertarian circle in Hyde Park. Sadly, I have not seen him in well over decade.

My favorite line:

As Marxists used to say, fascism "appeals to the basest instincts," implying that leftists were at a disadvantage because they could appeal only to noble instincts like envy of the rich.

Well worth a read if you are into ideological history.