Part 2

From a strictly logical standpoint, these two phenomena were not conditional one on the other yet, historically, they were simultaneous.

Corporate economy rises at a particular moment in history when the two concomitant phenomena of capitalism and socialism have yielded all that they could give.

We have inherited everything that was still alive in each of them.

We have inherited everything that was still alive in each liberal theory, rising indignantly every time that labour was spoken of as a commodity.

The economic man does not exist. Man is complete: he is political, he is economic, he is religious, he is saint, he is warrior.

Today we are taking another step forward on the road of the Revolution.

Comrade Tassinari rightly said that a revolution, in order to be great, in order to leave a deep and lasting mark upon the life of a people and in history, must be a social revolution.3

If you look deeply into things you will see that the French Revolution was eminently social, for it demolished all that had survived of the Middle-Ages, from tolls to corvées,4 was responsible for the upheaval of the system of landed property in France, and created the millions of small land-owners who have been, and are still, one of the strongest and soundest forces of that country.

Were this not so, anybody could think he had made a revolution. A revolution is a serious matter, not a court conspiracy, nor a change of Cabinet, nor the rise of one party replacing another.

It is laughable to read that in 1876 the advent of the Left to power was described as a revolution.

In conclusion, let us ask ourselves: can Corporatism be applied to other countries? We are bound to ask ourselves this because the same question is being asked in all countries where efforts are made to study and to understand this problem.

There is no doubt that, in view of the general crisis of capitalism, the Corporate solution will force itself to the fore everywhere, but if the system is to be carried out fully, completely, integrally, revolutionarily, three conditions are required.

A single political party, in order that political discipline may exist alongside of economic discipline and that the bond of a common fate may unite everyone above contrasting interests. Nor is this enough. Besides the single political party there must be a totalitarian State, a State which by absorbing the energy, interests, and aspirations of the people, may transform and uplift them.

But even this is not enough. The third and last and most important condition is to live in an atmosphere of strong ideal tension.

We, in Italy, are living in this atmosphere today.

That is why, step by step, we shall give force and consistency to all our achievements, why we shall translate all our doctrine into action.

Who can deny that the Fascist Era is an era of great ideal tension? No one can deny it. This is an age in which arms are crowned by victory, institutions renewed, land redeemed, and new cities founded.

End Quote