More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
Where do we draw the line between the simple abuse of authority and the gross misrule we call Fascism?
Fascist attitudes take hold when there are no social anchors and when the perception grows that everybody lies, steals, and cares only about him- or herself.
The wise response to intolerance is not more intolerance or self-righteousness; it is a coming together across the ideological spectrum of people who want to make democracies more effective.
Asked by a reporter to summarize his program, Mussolini replied, “It is to break the bones of the democrats . . . and the sooner the better.”
He initiated a campaign to drenare la palude (“drain the swamp”) by firing more than 35,000 civil servants.
He sought to govern well, but to do that, he felt the need to rule absolutely. He had full trust in his own judgment, and there was no satiating his hunger for power.
