Hello Marc,

 LL>> The Italian Origin of Fascism

 LL>> The words fascism and fascist have long been associated with the
 LL>> Fascisti of Benito Mussolini and the fasces, the bundle of rods
 LL>> with an ax among them, which the Fascisti used as a symbol of the
 LL>> Italian people united and obedient to the single authority of the
 LL>> state. However, Mussolini did not introduce the word fascista
 LL>> (plural fascisti) with the 1919 organization of the Fasci di
 LL>> combattimento ("combat groups"), nor did the fasces have any
 LL>> direct connection with the origin of fascista. In Italian, the word
 LL>> fascio (plural fasci) means literally "bundle," and
 LL>> figuratively "group." From at least 1872 fascio was used in the
 LL>> names of labor and agrarian unions, and in October 1914 a political
 LL>> coalition was formed called the Fascio rivoluzionario d'azione
 LL>> internazionalista ("revolutionary group for international
 LL>> action"), which advocated Italian participation in World War I on
 LL>> the side of the Allies. Members of this group were first called
 LL>> fascisti in January 1915. Although Mussolini was closely associated
 LL>> with this interventionist movement, it had no direct link with the
 LL>> post-war Fasci di combattimento, and in 1919 the word fascista was
 LL>> already in political circulation. It is, however, to the Fascisti
 LL>> in their 1919 incarnation, who seized power in Italy three years
 LL>> later, that we owe the current customary meanings of our words
 LL>> fascism and fascist.

 ML> Thank you, Lee, for this bit of history that I found quite informative.
What
 ML> was the source? Or was it from your own knowledge?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Noted cite at bottom of message.

Benito Mussolini had his own version, which was unique in and
of itself. He and FDR complimented each other for how they ran
their respective economies. Before hostitilies began.

--Lee

-- 
Hands too small! Can't build a wall!

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb