Futurism

@alperenzl

In order to understand the futurism movement, first of all, it is necessary to look at the general situation of Italy and Europe. After the 19th century, technology changed with extreme speed, cars, planes and machines were created. This extremely rapid development and change is not only related to technology, but also a rapid change is experienced in terms of ideas. Italy, on the other hand, was not a country that could keep up with these developments, its infrastructure was weak and it could not industrialize.

Futurism comes from the Italian 'futurismo' meaning futurism. Futurism wants to get rid of the past. As the past cannot keep up with the pace of the future and the present, ties with it must be severed and destroyed, so one of the leading futurists, Marinetti, goes so far as to want to demolish cemeteries and burn libraries. Futurists talk about building new cities, getting rid of forms in poetry, and portraying movement in paintings, the only thing worth painting for them is movement and creation. We can explain their passion for speed by seeing speed and movement as a solution to Italy's backwardness, futurists are fascinated with innovation and technology.

The futurist movement despises femininity, and they talk about the fact that society has a feminine structure in some periods and a masculine structure in some periods. In times of war, masculinity predominates in society, while in times of peace, femininity dominates. For futurists who bless war, masculinity is paramount.

They want to apply social Darwinism not only internationally, but also to their own society, and even oppose the construction of hospitals. For futurists, if there is an ideal to be believed, it is technology and speed, and beauty should not be sought separately in art. The beautiful thing was speed, combat and movement. A race car was better than an Ancient Greek statue.

'Courage, audacity and defiance will be the essential qualities of our poetry. To this day, literature has been in a thoughtful stillness, an ecstasy, a sleep. We'll line it up with offensive action, a feverish drowsiness, racer's speed, deadly jumps, punches and slaps. We, who glorify war, the world's only means of cleansing, patriotism, the destructive actions of freedom fighters, and lofty ideals worth dying for, despise women.'

Mussolini- Denial of individuality and the importance of the state

alperenzl

 

Fascism is against all individual abstractions based on eighteenth century materiali

sm; and against all Jacobinist utopias and innovations. XVIII. It does not believe in the possibility of "happiness" on earth as conceived by the economic literature of the century, and therefore rejects the view that humanity will find a final solution to all its difficulties at some point in the future. This concept goes against the experience that teaches that life is in constant flux and evolution.

 

Fascism in politics aims at realism; in practice it only wants to deal with problems that are the spontaneous product of historical conditions and that find or propose their own solutions. Man can have an effect on man and nature only by entering the process of reality and seizing the forces that operate within it.

 

The anti-individualist, Fascist understanding of life emphasizes the importance of the State and accepts the interests of the individual only to the extent that they coincide with the interests of the State, which represents the conscience and universal will of man as a historical entity. It is against classical liberalism, which emerged as a reaction to absolutism and exhausted its historical function as the state became the expression of the conscience and will of the people. Liberalism 'denies' the State in the name of the individual; Fascism reasserts the rights of the State by expressing the true essence of the individual, and freedom is not for him (for Fascists) the 'abstract idiots' invented by individualist liberalism (I think he's talking about the lack of action, I had to translate it that way because it says 'abstract dummies' in English) If it is the quality of the people living in the State, then Fascism sees freedom and the only freedom worth having as the freedom of the State and the individual within the State. The understanding of the Fascist State encompasses everything; There can be no human or spiritual value other than that.

 

Seen in this way, Fascism is totalitarian and the Fascist State is a synthesis of all values. Interprets, develops and strengthens the whole life of a people

 

Mussolini-Doctrine of Fascism, 1932 (Translated, please warn if there are translation errors)

Third position: Fascist economic system and Mussolini

 


alperenzl

Fascism can be considered as a 3rd way in economy. According to fascists, while socialism gave power to only one class, Liberalism was actually only protecting bosses and entrepreneurs, even though it claimed to distribute freedom equally. Fascism accepts economic classes, but is in favor of reconciling them by the state.

The state may not tolerate business conflicts as long as the employer-employee disputes remain entirely private and within a narrow scope, but if these conflicts gain a wide scope regarding the working and productive majority of the nation, as in our time, then individual interests will turn into collective interests. In such a situation, intervention is not only the right but also the duty of the state, which is the guardian of the collective interests.

In addition, Fascism, unlike socialism, does not completely exclude capital and capitalism:

‘…As the worker cannot be sacrificed, so is capital. Capital depends on the savings mentality. No feature can distinguish a leading nation from a backward nation as much as the degree of its capital security.'

In the fascist system, the state directs the private sector, in fact, the state manages the entire economy.

‘There can be no capitalism without workers and no workers without capitalists. In this respect, reconciling these two necessary elements, which are complementary to each other, in the field of production, which means the interest of the nation, and reconciliation and the social case are resolved in this way. Only the state can do this. So, it is necessary to make the state authority, which is the first starting point, strong and dominant. For this reason, the state, which is obliged to protect the national existence, must also be the organizer of general production activities.'

 

Mussolini-Fascism and Fascist State

Functions of Fascist Corporations: the 'Carta Del Lavoro' example

by: alperenzl

We can see the functions of Fascist corporations in the 'Declaration of Job' accepted on April 21, 1927.

Corporations were primarily responsible for increasing production, keeping prices low, and quality. In addition, national consciousness should also be instilled. Artist guilds, on the other hand, try to contribute as much artistic/scientific as possible to the State. Communities also had to educate and help each other internally.

Private enterprise is allowed, but if this enterprise harms the 'Fascist State', the power to intervene in the state arises. In other words, we can talk about an economy that is actually directed and managed by the state.
The determination of wages is left to the agreement of the employee and employer. (Of

course, if we consider the authority of the Fascist administration to intervene in these corporations and everything in general, it is not possible in practice).
In any crisis, the loss is shared equally among the production branches. Annual leave rights (taking off) are guaranteed by the state. The state strengthens insurance.

‘Employment offices are under state control. Employers are obliged to hire workers registered in these offices. They have the right to choose the ones registered to the Fascist Party or their corporations among the ones listed on the list, by prioritizing them according to the lack of application date.'

The fascist regime thus tries to destroy its opponents by completely excluding them from the economy.

Mussolini-Fascism and Fascist State