Some thoughts on the debate and fascism

For some reason there is a widespread misconception (here, for example) that there is some sort of trade-off between fascism and liberal democracy--that fascism offers stability, security, a sense of well-being, and economic, industrial, and political efficiency at some small cost to personal liberty, whereas liberal democracy offers the protection of individual liberties at the cost of all the rest.  This is a falsehood bred by a convenient simplification of either scheme of government!  Fascism is less stable in the long-term (but, granted, typically more stable in the short-term due to conscientious police-work) because it is not necessarily sanctioned by the people; fascism is less secure from outside pressure and war in the long-term because of its militant, nationalistic, and confrontational nature; fascism fails to give a long-term sense of well-being to its victims because parades really aren't everything; and finally, the economic, industrial, and political efficiency attributed to fascism is a fantasy.  Many democracies have mechanisms for quick, top-down (autocratic, almost) reform; usually it comes about that what is most needed is swept through the legislature by popular mandate.