... like I'm 5 years old
Fascism, Communism, and Socialism are all types of political systems, but they're different in a few key ways.
Fascism is like a strict school principal who makes all the decisions and doesn't let students have a say. The principal can be very controlling and sometimes even mean.
Communism is like a classroom where everyone shares everything equally. No one has more or fewer pencils or books than anyone else. But this also means that no one can have special things that others don't have.
Socialism is like a mix of the two. It's a classroom where everyone shares some things, like textbooks, but students can still have their own special items, like a favourite pencil case.
Think of it as different ways to run a school. Fascism is a strict principal in control, Communism is a classroom where everything is shared equally, and Socialism is a bit of both where some things are shared and some things are personal.
... like I'm in College
Fascism is a far-right system characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. It emerged in early 20th-century Europe with figures like Benito Mussolini in Italy and later Adolf Hitler in Germany.
Communism, on the other hand, is a far-left ideology where all property is publicly owned, and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. Its roots can be traced back to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th century, and it found significant expression in the 20th century through leaders like Vladimir Lenin and Mao Zedong.
Socialism is also a left-leaning system that advocates for the means of production, distribution, and exchange to be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. It can be seen as a middle ground between capitalism and communism, combining aspects of both. It has been implemented in various forms around the world, such as in Scandinavian countries.
Imagine a large Lego set.
In a Fascist system, there's only one person (the dictator) who decides what to build, how to build it, and who gets to play with the finished model. The other people (the citizens) have to follow these decisions without question, and they don't have any Lego bricks of their own.
In a Communist system, all the Lego bricks are shared equally between everyone. Everyone works together to build something, and everyone gets to play with it equally. However, no one can have any special or unique Lego bricks that others don't have.
In a Socialist system, some of the Lego bricks are shared for everyone to use, but people can also have their own individual Lego bricks. They work together to build something, but they can also build and play with their own smaller creations.
... like I'm an expert
Fascism, as an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system, emerged as a reaction against perceived threats from socialist and communist ideologies. It favours a centralized autocratic government, often led by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.
Communism, rooted in the works of Marx and Engels, posits a classless society where all property is publicly owned and people work for the common good. It seeks to eliminate the disparities between the rich and the poor and promotes equality among all citizens.
Socialism, while sharing communism's goal of equality and public ownership, differs in its approach to achieving these goals. Rather than advocating for a complete overthrow of capitalism, socialism seeks to work within the existing structures to regulate industries and redistribute wealth for the benefit of the broader community. However, the degree of regulation and redistribution varies widely among socialist states.