Triveni Journal

1927 | 11,233,916 words

Triveni is a journal dedicated to ancient Indian culture, history, philosophy, art, spirituality, music and all sorts of literature. Triveni was founded at Madras in 1927 and since that time various authors have donated their creativity in the form of articles, covering many aspects of public life....

Mussolini at the Helm: A View

Krishna R. Guruswami Reddiar, M.A.

Mussolini at the Helm: A View 1

(Written on seeing a picture of Mussolini

‘Necesse navigare non vivere’)

BY KRISHNA R. GURUSWAMI REDDIAR, M.A. (CAMBRIDGE)

The Superman has arrived–or something like it has happened! Mussolini deliberately, explicitly, places himself above the hierarchy in the State. That in the State there should be above one dominating personality or mind is Mussolinism. Carlyle, approvingly, might have put him in the category of heroes–‘Hero in Politics.’ Nietszche might possibly have recognised the greatness of the Chief of the Fascists.

Fascism is the life force of the Italy of today and the present Fascism is identifiable with the life and personality of Benito Mussolini. Fascism is now at once the atmosphere and breath of the political life of Italy. Fascism, literally meaning union as the strength of a band of faggots, stands for the strength of a united people through recognition of the supermacy of the idea of the State.

Paradoxically, it would seem, the Hegelian idea of the State seems to have materialised in Italy in the defeat of the Prussianised, Hohenzollern Germany, in that the Mussolini idea, of the unquestioned, primal supremacy of the State seems not unlike that of the Hegelian idea so much attempted in practice in Prussia, and the Hohenzollern German Empire adroitly developed by that great astute statesman Bismarck with unerring statesmanship but to end with disastrous results. And now Prussia completes the circle in Hitler, the Mussolini of Germany and Hitlerism.

The picture that one finds of Mussolini in the ship is mystically, significantly, symbolic ofthe commander’s position in the ship of State. Everywhere Fascism is the keyword for the strength of the New Italy.

Born of humble, suffering parentage, having tasted amply the bitternesses of early struggles and persecutions; been an exile in Switzerland, worked as stone-mason having sworn by the Buddha as teacher, felt himself destitute and desolate in the world, been a political prisoner–the cruelty of the world having gnawed at his heart–Mussolini has largely realised himself in politics and through journalism, powerful writing and direct forceful speaking.

His participation in various grades of socialistic activities ended after a long period, with his break with the orthodox Socialists and Socialist party at the question of the declaration of Italy’s war-policy, when he definitely threw the weight of his personality and influence on the side of the ‘Allies’–the German-Austro-Hungarian Entente having been known not to be ‘real’–‘Italia Irredenta’ in mind and neutrality not being accepted as the most expedient for Italy.

The intuitive perception of the implied consequences, in anticipation, of a momentous world situation is characteristic of the Master Mind.

Discipline, the subordination of the will and interests of the individual or groups of individuals, voluntarily preferably, but necessarily at any cost, to the interests of the State, appears as the supreme practical idea of this conception of the mode and means of development of the people by the State. The idea is not uncommon. What is characteristic of the man is the explicit, forcefully deliberate, enunciation of it in political psychclogical fitness in a crucial world situation and the realisation of it as practical political ethic at a critical time of the people’s, the nation’s determination of development and progress.

Italy has been, perhaps by an implied suggestion of the possibility of destiny, before now the leader in ideas of National developments.

The Romans, long before, gave to the world the idea of corporate legal life. ‘Civis Romanus’–‘Civitas’ is among the chief Roman legacies to the world, The XII Tables and related ideas of social, legal and State life–the laws of ‘Persona,’ .of ‘Res’–are among the permanent Roman gifts.

Later, by the adoption of the Christian Religion by Constantine, Rome, Italy became the radiating centre of a new kind of life–‘Vita Nuova’–permeating throughout Europe, giving a new civilisation partly replacing and partly coalescing, with transforming phases, with the Pagan cultures.

Again after the Middle Ages, Medievalism,–Dante is so great a figure in European thought and feeling at the parting of the ways–by the Renaissance–affording also a relief from the exclusivism of Monasticism and Feudalism–placingEurope psychically in contact, with reawakened interest, with the great classic of the far long forgotten and directly inaccessible Greek and Roman civilisations and cultures, artistic, philosophic, literary, humanistic Italy gave to Europe a new life, the dynamic impetus of which has continued through many changes In the development of the European peoples–the French Revolution itself with its after effects possibly a sequential effect of it.

After long lapses of time, once again, possibly Italy through Mussolini, by what appears a new practical idea of the relationship between the Individual and the State, and its ethic, through Fascism, gives a new leading idea of State life.

That Duty is above Right is fundamental in this conception. That the individual has no rights except such as the individual may get dependent on, in virtue of, and even only because of and in return for, duties–and this absolutely–this is the crux of Fascism which has showed itself, paradoxically, revolutionarily, in developing as a movement apart from the State and overtaking the existing State, by ‘voluntary compulsion’ of State surrender, which because of the practical working out of the idea may be described as more revolutionary even than the common revolutions against which it is recognised or taken to be a formidable, great force. This Hegelian?

It is said to be against the idea of the importance of the vote in politics and the State, the vote so dear a possession as conceived by many. The pragmatic value of the American idea of independence, and franchise and of parliamentarianism in other countries is, for it, weak and false to ‘Real-Politics.’ It looks like Absolutism in Government, but an Absolutism which aims at the co-operative, conjoint welfare through discipline of those over whom it places itself as Absolutism. It has been described as a sort of modern Socratesism relatively to the existent dynamics of politics. Its value in the consolidation and strengthening of a people, a nation, in an emergent crisis has been recognised as newly great. It has justified itself pragmatically, by its success, by its campaigns even against the State existing when it made itself and its force felt, especially ever since the now famous ‘March to Rome’–or better ‘March on Rome’–of the Black Shirt Fascists for which Benito Mussolini as Leader,–Il Duce–changing from leader-writing to private soldiering, had prepared himself previously in initiation and apprenticeship, as it were, through the baptism of fire, in the war trenches. It–Fascism–has made itself prospectively a vital force. The ‘Balilla’–the Fascist organisation for better life for the children and youth, even little children, boys and girls of Italy, so named from a youth who had played a characteristically heroic part for Italy on a previous occasion–is the movement which attempts at ensuring the future living security of Fascism.

Appearing corporative, while recognising and embracing alike Capitalism, private capiatalism in industry and commerce, and Labourism of whatever form, professing large sympathies, no doubt born of Mussolini’s life and experiences, Fascism is itself neither of the nature of Capitalism nor of Labourism. It is Statism–of the nature of Statism. It approves or condones neither strikes nor ‘lock outs’. Fascism looks above and from both Capital and Labour and production to the State, for which, and by which, it believes all these are. It is on the side of Capital if Capital for the welfare of the State, and it is against it, if against; it is on theside of Labour if Labour is for the State and against it, if against. Similarly, it attempts at being both conservative and progressive, both traditionalistic and reforming. It is progressively for conserving forces and influence,–for religion, for reforms in education, industry, enterprises.

The psychological evolution and changes of Benito Mussolini’s ideas should be enormous interest. For long by circumstances, birth, upbringing, education, associations, grown in Revolutionism, engaging himself in journalistic activities, editorially, leader-writingly, and in political circles, realistically, with adjusting ideas, the Mind had been amply prepared for a settled view of the importance and value in world situation of strength, strong control, regularised, regulated group activity, and feeling of discipline,–pernaps an echo in application to ‘Real-Politics’ of the rigour of formalism or Ciceronianism of a variety. And now practical disciplinism, Statism, Fascism to make Italy utter truly and strongly ‘Viva l’ Italia’ among the changed peoples and States of Europe and a world with new forces comes from the Mind so prepared, as an idea for the governance of human institutions, human groups, peoples and governments.

Machiavelli, before, gave ‘the Prince’ with its lasting influence of definite idea of politics. The recurrent problem in the phenomena of this world in cosmic placing has given occasion for consideration and reconsideration of human nature and for enunciation of principles and ideas of politics for organised, integrated–while differentiated–purposeful, human life.

Again and again, from the time of the Homeric story of Ulysses, of Romus, and the origin of Rome which so many generations of humans have in turn learned with enkindled imagination–Nordic origin?–then from the XII Tables and legal sequences which are yet seen in legal systems,–the Republic, the Empire, the Roman Empire Christianised, and long after the Middle Ages, the Renaissance–Arts, Letters and Life and Humanities–through changing vicissitudes of historic scenes and circumstances, it has been the occasion and privilege of Italy. Dante Aligherri, St. Francis of Assissi, the Medici, Leonardo Da Vinci, Galileo–what great names among Humans to give leading ideas!

The future of Fascism will possibly depend on its ‘spiritual’ world-vitality,–Bergson’s ‘elan vital’ in politics.

What has Bernard Shaw, Prophet (?) of the Man and Superman fame, Arch-intellect of Socialism, to say of the future of Fascism?

1 The Author’s intention is presentation, not necessarily advocacy.

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