Since '16 I struggled to define "fascism"... now I think I have it, in one sentence.

[JohnnyRingo]

3. That may be a byproduct of Fascism.

But I was taught long ago that it is when the corporations completely take over the government for their own benefit. Elections no longer serve a real purpose and a dictator is appointed as the nation's CEO.

It is the mirror opposite of Communism where the government takes over all the corporations for the benefit of the State. The government is a board room that decides what the noncompetitive businesses do. Both systems have flaws in that the citizens are mere tools, undeserving of attention beyond what they can do to increase production.

Before WWII Germany begat a thriving military complex that needed fed with labor and raw materials. It was seen fit to expand the empire to supply the out of control industrial base. The corporations dictated policy that led into unbridled war to feed their bottom lines, and that snowballed into an increased supply of weapons of war..

I believe our outright fear of Communism has already taken us into a Fascist regime. The last piece is merging the corporations into a singular beast that uses the government to feed itself, and nullifying the voting system that restrains that monster. And they're working on that.