Communism and Fascism: Different Flags, Same Chain

Americans have been taught to see communism and fascism as polar opposites — one draped in the red flag of the workers, the other in the black-and-white banners of nationalist pride. On the surface, they do stand in ideological opposition: communism promises the abolition of private property and the equal distribution of resources; fascism glorifies private enterprise as long as it serves the power of the state. But look closer, and the distinction begins to blur where it matters most — in how both systems treat individual liberty and democratic governance.

The Differences

1. Economic Philosophy

• Communism is built on the idea that the means of production — farms, factories, infrastructure — should be owned collectively, managed for the common good, and stripped from private owners. In its pure theory, this means no private wealth and no class distinctions.
• Fascism leaves property in private hands, but under tight state control. Businesses may remain nominally independent, but they are expected to align with state objectives — often rewarded or punished based on loyalty to the regime.

2. Ideological Core

• Communism is an internationalist ideology. It views workers everywhere as part of the same struggle, and sees national borders as artificial obstacles to global equality.
• Fascism is ultranationalist. It elevates the nation (often defined in ethnic, cultural, or racial terms) above all else, framing outsiders as threats and glorifying the state as the embodiment of the nation’s destiny.

3. Cultural Storytelling

• Communism tells the story of class warfare — the oppressed rising against the oppressors to create a classless society.
• Fascism tells the story of cultural purity and renewal — a “chosen” people reclaiming their rightful place through discipline, strength, and unity.

The Similarities

Despite these ideological differences, both systems tend to evolve into something that looks disturbingly alike in practice.

1. Centralized, Unaccountable Power Whether in the name of the people or the nation, authority is concentrated in a small ruling elite — often in a single leader — who faces no real checks on power.

2. Suppression of Dissent Free speech, independent press, political opposition — all are curtailed. Both systems operate on the belief that unity requires silencing disagreement.

3. Control of Everyday Life From what you can read, say, or teach your children, to what you can buy or produce, both regimes impose rules that put the state’s priorities ahead of personal choice.

4. “Ends Justify the Means” Governance Once in power, both communism and fascism justify almost any action — censorship, imprisonment, even violence — as necessary to achieve their ideological goals.

5. Weakening of Individual Rights Property rights, due process, religious freedom, and freedom of movement all become conditional on loyalty to the system.

Why the Similarities Matter More Than the Differences

It is easy to get lost in the historical and ideological contrasts. But from the perspective of an ordinary citizen, the lived reality under either system feels strikingly similar: you lose the right to decide how you live, speak, work, and associate. The government — whether draped in a red flag or wrapped in the national banner — decides for you.

That’s why the current American debate should not get stuck on whether a political shift resembles fascism or communism. The real question is whether it resembles democracy. In a free society, the state answers to the people, not the other way around. Both communism and fascism invert that relationship, making the people answerable to the state.

Label the threat however you like. What matters is recognizing the common authoritarian DNA — and rejecting it before the chains are clasped.