Whats the difference between communism, fascism, and socialism?
“This ism, that ism. Ism, ism, ism.” John Lennon was right — there are a lot of “isms.” The ones you mention are politically loaded and often used interchangeably, although the meanings are actually quite different. Hopefully, the definitions below explain the differences. However, please note that definitions don’t always mimic real-world scenarios. In very broad strokes, socialism is an economic system in which “the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.” In modern societies, socialism often attempts to eradicate class divisions. While the word “socialism” is sometimes used interchangeably with “communism,” the two aren’t the same — communism is a more extreme form of sociali
