Republican apparatchiks have got it wrong when it comes to describing President Obama’s policy agenda for the United States – it’s not socialist, communist or a grim redo of the Nazis’ ghoulish exploits. Actually, the President and his inner circle of advisors are more akin to Benito Mussolini’s National Fascist Party, which the “Duce” founded in 1922.  

Long before he got into bed with Hitler, Mussolini had, after deciding socialism was a dead end, polished his fascist philosophy into a sophisticated and effective machine where the state was the be all, end all – in other words, individuality, the private sector and personal initiative was subsumed by the national government’s interests. The Duce’s propaganda machine was unrivaled in the world, and his philosophical tendrils reached way, way down into grade schools across Italy.  

Another fascinating similarity between the President and Mussolini can be found in their willingness to forge foreign relations for political expediency. Instead of throwing brush back pitches against Venezuela, North Korea, Libya and Iran, the President is content to treat them like errant neighbors that the homeowner’s association would just as soon ignore before any unpleasantness. Mussolini did the same with Franco and Hitler – and look where that got him. 

I hadn’t gotten the urge to draw these comparisons until the blowtorch of the media singed the West Wing’s attempt at manipulating our school kids with a “Presidential Message”. The President’s original speech was amazing in its audacity –  the second draft was what I’d term the “caught with the hand in the cookie jar” version. After this episode, you have to ask yourself – “What’s next?” How about compulsory attendance in some sort of retrograde youth corps? How about matching black shirts for the kids? You get my drift.  

Next time you have the chance, rent the “Counterfeit Traitor” from Netflix or Redbox (full disclosure: I own stock in neither). The movie is set in occupied Europe during World War II and contains several fascinating (and chilling) scenes where a seemingly benign young boy has been turned against his parents by the Hitler Youth schemes. Sound farfetched? Don’t bet on it. When politicians start wanting to speak to our kids, you’d do yourself a favor to review Mussolini’s practices in this regard during the early 1920s.

Matt Crow joined Reagan Administration in 1987; worked in both Bush 41 and 43 Administrations; plays to a 19 golf handicap and loves to vacation at the beach with his wife and children.