The Third Way

THE THIRD WAY

An Italian Political Renaissance Denied

On July 29, 1883 a son was born to a young married couple, then living in Varano di Costa,
overlooking the village of Dovia in the Commune of Predappio, Italy. The father, Alessandro, a
man earnestly interested in the political life of his country , was a blacksmith by trade. The
mother, Rosa, was educated as a school teacher. They both rejoiced at the arrival of their first
born, and baptized him, Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini. Much later in life, after many
trials, this infant, now a man, was destined to have a remarkable impact on the daily life of
every Italian citizen at home or living abroad in other lands. Still later, his political,social and economic
talents and original ideas would affect the lives of millions of non-Italian people and eventually
the destiny of other nations of the world.

He was to become an explorer, much like the famed Italian explorers of the great age of
global explorers: Marco Polo, Cristoforo Colombo, Giovanni Caboto, Sebastiano Caboto,
Giovanni da Verazzano, Americo Vespucci, Eusebio Francisco Kino, and others, Instead of
going to sea, this man stayed at home, but like the explorers who proceeded him in life, he
would bravely set his mental sail in the dark, unknown, forbidding waters of political life; in a
voyage of discovery of a new territory of unknown political philosophy. He would in due
course discover The Third Way an unprecedented, entirely new political order of people
living together in a harmonious and prosperous society. His historical undertaking was made no
less dangerous or less certain by the fact that he remained at home in Italy, in order to
reach his political goals and ambitions for the general welfare of his fellow Italian citizens.

THE THIRD WAY

Until 1922, the political life of Western nations was sharply divided between the two ideologies of
Socialism and Capitalism. Each was then clearly opposed to the other’s way of supporting and governing a nation. It remains so today! Secondary labels are used today to describe the governments of the day in these two Western political ideologies: Liberals,Conservatives, Progressive Conservatives, Republicans, Constitutional Monarchies, Democrats, Marxist, Communists, New Democrats, Christian Democrats, and more. They all endorse and give their allegiance to either the Socialist or to the Capitalist camps. Mussolini knew both of these systems well. He studied them both as a young man and for a short while in Switzerland and in Italy worked with the Socialists as a Socialist newspaper
writer. He understood the social and economic power of Capitalism, living with it in Italy, and
looking across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States of America. He decided early in his
political life that neither was of great social value or offered genuine or sufficient benefits to the
citizens of their nations. With these ideas germinating in his mind and in his daily life as a
soldier, a writer, an editor, and finally as the publisher of his own newspaper, he decided it was
time to give birth to his new concept of political life -- The Third Way. At first he saw it only as
a process, not a political ideology or party, first to be tested in the ongoing life of a Socialist or
a Capitalist government. Eventfully he saw that it needed its own fertile ground to grow. It
demanded a completely new political enterprise. He named the process Fascism, in order to
confer a rebirth of the ancient Roman symbol of the Fasces, a cylindrical bundle of elm or birch
rods bound together by a red band from which an axe head projected. These were carried by
Lictors, the elite attendants and guards, before a Consul or High Magistrate as a symbol their
authority.

Keeping the importance of this symbolism in mind, he led the country from 1922 to 1943 to a
new incomparable era of social, political, scientific, medical, educational, artistic, pension,
labour, and entrepreneurial heights, never seen or imagined before in Italy or in any other
European nation. He transformed Italy from a divided, defeated nation of unemployed, hungry
people in 1918, to a nation of wealth, enterprise, and instituted a new pride of nationhood in the
Italian population. New models of social accomplishments and economic programs sprang up in
every sector of the land, for the young, the aged, the rich, the poor, while initiating and
introducing a new and invigorating cultural life for everyone in every region of the peninsula.

Under the brave, intelligent, vigilant, cautious leadership of Benito Mussolini, led by his Fascist
Doctrines and Institutions, Italy became the most successful nation on the face of the world. Not
since the regional City Republic glory days of the Italian Renaissance had Italy enjoyed such
universal renown and unprecedented high levels of national economic and social attainments,
laudatory international achievements, internal national unity, and cultural and educational
successes - Italy was the very model of social order and industrial and agricultural progress for
the nations of the world.

For these achievements the Italian people conferred on him the unprecedented honour of being
officially acknowledged and referred to as Il Duce: The Leader and Law Giver of the Nation.


INTERNATIONAL REPERCUSSIONS

In the years 1922 to 1939, Benito Mussolini and the Fascist Government’s social, economic,
religious, and cultural programs became a hallmark of new universal Governmental standards, of
national progress, pride and achievements not only for the Kingdom of Italy but were soon to be
adopted by several other world governments. The world stood in awe at the outstanding
achievements of this “young man” from Italy and beat a path to his doorstep. The political
concept of Fascism is a product of the Italian people, Mussolini was often heard to say and often
to write. He neither sought to export it and refused to make unnecessary trips outside of Italy,
unless he was invited to do so due to important international matters. If people of other countries
wish to know what Fascism is and what it does, let them watch what we do in Italy — they will
then learn all they wish to know.

But, in certain countries, and in certain spheres of financial and fraternal influence, powerful men
were ill at ease watching and taking note of the recent national and international successes of
Italy’s Fascist Government. They saw that their social and financial models were now being seen
as second-rate and in serious need of new blood and new thinking on their behalf. The western
capitalist countries of the world found themselves deeply entrenched in a soul searing, intractable
Economic Depression, ever since the capital market crash of 1929. They gathered in their
government offices, their private hunting lodges, and their ceremonial meeting rooms to consider
what their economic options were in the light of the ongoing multifaceted intellectual brilliance
and leadership of this political “boy genius” Benito Mussolini. They were very unhappy watching
his vision and national programs of good and stable government then being seen unfolding before
them in the daily lives of the Italian people.

Their war drums were unsheathed and tuned in preparation of a repeat performance of the 1914
- 1918 World War slaughter, which cost the nations of Europe and the World ten million dead and
twenty million wounded men, women and children.

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