What is fascism, and how does it compare to other ideas of government?

[dondegroovily]

Classical liberalism (which has nothing to do with modern liberalism) is the idea that the state should serve the people. Fascism is, for the most part, the opposite, believing that the people should serve the state.

Fascism is as described.

Communism believes that the state should serve the common people instead of the elite. However, as a response to pro-business corruption in democracies in the 1800s, it doesn't trust democracy to accomplish this. Thus, in practice, Communism winds up being similar to Fascism, and serves the elites in the government (such as Kim Jong-Il's palaces). There are some Communism true-believers, such as Fidel Castro, who pretty much lives and dresses just as he did as a revolutionary in 1958.

Socialism is a purely economic philosophy. Communism is a from of socialism, but so are the democratic governments of Norway and Sweden. It is the view that government should transfer wealth from the rich to the poor.

Nationalism in pride in your country. It is frequently exploited by those trying to seize dictatorial powers. The rhetoric is along the lines of "If you don't support me, you don't support your country". Nationalism was a huge part of Hitler's speeches and a primary reasons for the wars and deaths he caused. As a result, Europeans to this day are suspicious of any public nationalism.