ems of authority and of liberty,
the political and social problems, especially national; the fight
against the liberal, democratic, socialistic and popular doctrines,
was carried out together with the "punitive expeditions."

But as a "system" was lacking, our adversaries in bad faith, denied to
Fascism any capacity to produce a doctrine, though that doctrine was
growing tumultuously, at first under the aspect of violent and
dogmatic negation, as happens to all newly-born ideas, and later under
the positive aspect of construction which was successively realised,
in the years 1926-27-28 through the laws and institutions of the
regime. Fascism today stands clearly defined not only as a regime, but
also as a doctrine. This word doctrine should be interpreted in the
sense that Fascism, to-day, when passing criticism on itself and
others, has its own point of view and its own point of reference, and
therefore also its own orientation when facing those problems which
beset the world in the spirit and in the matter.

3. Against Pacifism: War and Life as a Duty.

As far as the general future and development of humanity is concerned,
and apart from any mere consideration of current politics, Fascism
above all does not believe either in the possibility or utility of
universal peace. It therefore rejects the pacifism which masks
surrender and cowardice. War alone brings all human energies to their
highest tension and sets a seal of nobility on the peoples who have
the virtue to face it. All other tests are but substitutes which never
make a man face himself in the alternative of life or death. A
doctrine which has its starting-point at the prejudicial postulate of
peace is therefore extraneous to Fascism.

In the same way all international creations (which, as history
demonstrates, can be blown to the winds when sentimental, ideal and
practical elements storm the heart of a people) are also extraneous to
the spirit of Fascism--even if such international creations are
accepted for whatever utility they may have in any determined
political situation.

Fascism also transports this anti-pacifist spirit into the life of
individuals. The proud _squadrista_ motto "_me ne frego_" ("I don't
give a damn") scrawled on the bandages of the wounded is an act of
philosophy--not only stoic. It is a summary of a doctrine not only
political: it is an education in strife and an acceptance of the risks
which it carried: it is a new style of I