Paxton argues that while Stalin killed 'whomever his paranoid mind decided were "class enemies" (a condition one can change)', Hitler 'killed "race enemies",an irremediableconditionwhich condemns even newborns'(p. Paxton rejectsthis on the groundsthat fascismsought supremacy of the master race while communism sought 'universalequality'. Paxton's final discussion of fascism is, moreover, marred by his reluctance to engage with the currentreappraisalof the totalitarian interpretation of fascism which posits that fascism and communism have much in common. 2I8) which, owing to its length, is unlikely to supersede Roger Griffin's more pithy definition. Nevertheless, Paxton is ultimately forced to make a stab at his own 'fascist minimum' (P. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:ħ72 SEER, 84, 4, 2006 Although largely confined to an examination of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, this is an often insightfulwork which makes an admirableattempt to broaden the debate on fascism.It places fascistmovements in their historical and political contexts and argues that pragmatic decisions made both by the fascistleadersand by traditionalpower holderstell us more about fascism in power than an examination of fascism's ideological roots.
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