I am a Democracy-Girl

Is Fascism a better deal- for the country, for the people, for the world? That's what I'm wondering. Mussolini comes into Italy with his "legally granted" power and ends up creating a dictatorship that focuses on statism, nationalism, and militarism. Mussolini basically changed the constitution and the government in order to suit his own parties' needs. In his Doctrine of Fascism (1932) Mussolini wrote that no individuals or groups outside the state could exist since this is a TYRANNY! I also found this document interesting because he talks about how "as it is embodied in the State, this higher personality becomes a nation." The way Mussolini phrases "the higher personality" reminds me of the sovereign and the general will that Rousseau preached not so long ago. Granted, these things definitely stand for different things since the sovereign was the culmination of all the people's general wills and it did not represent a dictator. Despite the many facts that fascism in Italy weakened the production and economy (according to Nitti), lowered food supplies, increased poverty, destroyed freedom of press and speech, killed off the intellectuals and anyone with varying opinions, and overall just resorted to violence on WAY TO MANY occasions- there was still a HUGE following in Italy as seen by this video of Mussolini's speech. Granted, we can't really understand what he's saying- but i think we can all get the gist and see the HUGE CROWD of people listening. I mean i can see why people would like this- especially after how the previous government FAILED at getting what they wanted from the outcome of WWI. Plus, Mussolini preached "the end of the class conflict and its replacement by national unity" (916). According to this book, fascism in Italy didn't destroy the economy but instead, Mussolini tried to reorganize the economy and labor, "taking away the power of the country's labor movement and the Italian economy was placed under the management of twenty-two corporations, each responsible for a major industrial enterprise" (916). Of course the decisions made by these corporations were closely monitored by the government and therefore by Mussolini since this was a dictatorship. Should we believe our textbook or Nitti- Mussolini's opponent? I'm not sure. I'd prefer to take Nitti's side even if he is biased just because i don't believe in what fascism preaches. Sure i see the perks- national unity, one leader to tell me what to do so i don't have to think for myself, etc... but I don't think that all of that violence was justified and that fascism was not better for the country. I'm a democracy-girl.