Benevolent Fascist

Another well-intentioned incarnation of megalomania, mixed with a healthy dosage of cynicism and attentive observation, sprinkled with optimism and humour (not too much) just for fun. Now with added vitriol.

Woo!

Quite the humourous term, to anyone who knows the etymology of fascist.

Er, fascist comes from the Italian word fascio. A fascio is a bundle of wood. Fascism is "bundle-ism": the theory that we're stronger when we band together as a unit, just as sticks are stronger when bound together into a bundle. Given the etymology, I don't get the humour in BenevolentFascist.

So, uh, does that mean that "fascist" and "fag" have similar etymologies?

That's not the idea behind the name. The bundle was actually something the Romans carried around as a symbol of authority (Latin fascis), and Mussolini decided to adopt it as one of his emblems because he wanted to be seen as a successor to their glory. Both of them always included an axe in the center of the bundle. It represented nothing so high-minded as strength in numbers, but rather the punishments that criminals could expect: beatings and executions. So a BenevolentFascist is a well-wishing guy in charge of capital punishment.

• "It represented nothing so high-minded as strength in numbers" - Absolutely untrue. Fascism's highest imperative was to spiritually unite all members of the State: http://www.worldfuturefund.org/wffmaster/Reading/Germany/mussolini.htm

Frankly, I'd rather a nice guy in charge of it than a surly one. Frankly, I'd rather not have 'a guy' in charge at all. Never works out well for the rest of us. But if one has to have one, better a cheerful one

"It seems a shame to have good men doing such terrible things" "Oh no, your worship, if anyone must do it, better that they be good men!"

I'd rather an executioner that is moral (in truth, as opposed to publically moral) then an evil one.

So what's the etymology of the Italian first-name Benito?

I think it's the same as "Benny".

• Extreme tiny benefit. ;-)