At one time, Fascism may have had some sort of theoretical underpinning, as when Mussolini was writing, but it is primarily a social, not political movement. It's source is the frustrated middle class, terrified that hard economic times will push them back into the working class from which they originated, the working class they fear is out to "plunder their loot" (Jesus, I really love that phrase).

But they are not only motivated by fear and repulsion of those they once were, but by envy and hatred of those they wish to become: the commercial and social elite. This portion of the middle class feels they have an entitlement to the security and genteel lifestyle of the aristocracy. They deserve it because of their vaunted work ethic and superior moral and civic virtues. They despise the discreetly charming facade of their social and economic superiors, mistaking indifference and self-confidence (or even ignorance!) for disdain and perfidy. And they interpret their own perceived personal failures not as inequities in the social order or (heaven forbid!) their own shortcomings and inadequacies. Instead they see it as a conspiracy of the elite, which has enlisted the underclass to squeeze them, the REAL America, out of existence.

If you are indeed curious to understand the roots of modern conservatism, this is where you should look. And by "conservatism", I certainly don't mean an appreciation of traditional values, or a desire to keep government small, or a commitmment to family values, patriotism, community and personal excellence and enterprise or any of the stock attributes that are so jealously reserved only for those who consider themselves the worthy. These are values all of us share, regardless of party or philosophy; we only differ in definition and interpretation, emphasis and the drawing of boundaries. No, by "modern conservatism" I mean those who have claimed all virtue for themselves, and refuse to see it in anyone else, denying it to anyone who does not accept their program without reservation. They see conspiracies everywhere, and ascribe to everyone else their own darkest motives and flaws while refusing to acknowledge them in themselves.

Attila the Republican is not a political stereotype, he represents a pathological constellation of social malignancies. a dysfunctional psychological state. It is one that can be provoked, or brought to the surface, in times of economic stress and political turmoil. And its vectors can be easily identified by their inability to see history or even the contemporary world, as process or events, indeed, in any terms other than an elaborate conspiracy targeted directly against themselves.