In my early college years, I was basically conservative in my political views. As a result, I got called a “fascist” or “fascist pig” on a lot of occasions. In one memorable moment, people who were blocking the entrance to MIT yelled “Fascist!” at me as I tried to get past them.
The term is still used as a general-purpose smear, with little regard for the actual meaning of Fascism. The history of this practice goes back a long way and has its roots in Marxism, especially the Soviet variety. Stalin said in 1924: “Fascism is the bourgeoisie’s fighting organisation that relies on the active support of Social-Democracy. Social-Democracy is objectively the moderate wing of fascism.” During World War II, the USSR often characterized its fight as one against “fascism,” even though its battles were with Germany’s Nazi government and not Italy’s Fascist government. ……
In more recent times, we have “Antifa,” short for “antifascist.” Trump’s ridiculously overblown claims aside, it’s a loose movement that often resorts to force and intimidation. Britannica notes:
These include the observations that fascist groups typically attempt to utilize the freedoms of liberal democracy—such as freedom of speech and association—to gain enough power to eventually deny the same freedoms to others and that those struggling against fascism should not wait until this denial is realized to militantly resist it. Antifa tactics therefore include “deplatforming” fascists—that is, using both public pressure and physical disruption to prevent fascist opponents from organizing or promoting their own beliefs. In recent times, antifa members have also engaged in doxing, or the sharing of private information about opponents online. … Antifa has garnered much more attention for its property damage at protests, its disruption of right-wing events, and its targeting of specific right-wing figures, including the American white nationalist Richard Spencer, who was punched in the face in a videotaped assault in 2017.
Terms shift, and it wouldn’t be surprising for “fascism” to broaden in meaning to any kind of authoritarian government. However, the term gets used to attack ideas that aren’t characteristic of fascism or authoritarianism as such. Indeed, it’s sometimes used to attack the opposite. You see this in claims that “fascism is the final result of capitalism.” This means that the economy gets freer and freer until it’s under absolute governmental control. For that to make sense, your head has to be buried in Marxist dialectic.
The term generally excludes left-coded authoritarian states. Socialist dictatorships get a pass from being called fascist, though the differences between “left” and “right” authoritarianism are minor in practice.
Some people use “fascist” when talking specifically about the Nazi government of Germany. This lets the Nazis off too easily. Bad as Mussolini’s government was, it was mild compared to the National Socialist regime. It didn’t try to exterminate whole ethnic groups. It didn’t bomb population centers anywhere near the extent Germany did. This isn’t to excuse Italy’s actions but to recognize that Nazi Germany’s level of evil had few equals.
A lot of people throw around the word “fascist” carelessly simply because they hear it used that way, but it’s important not to let the people who use it for sneaky ends take control of the discourse. I’m talking about people who say things like “Antifa is short for antifascist, therefore if you oppose fascism you need to support Antifa.” When talking about a government or speaker, think about how well the term “fascist” fits. If it does, go ahead. In many cases, though, it’s better to use simpler terms like “dictatorship” or “totalitarianism.”