That might seem a flip question, but the point is, when a prosperous and orderly nation has been successfully subverted and overthrown, individual political differences mean nothing. Political philosophies, such as Marxism and Nazism, are smokescreens. What we need to understand as a nation is how insurrectionists establish themselves and wind up taking over the country. In basic form, Ghengis Khan and Alexander the Great achieved the same result as Trotsky and Lenin. Lenin's methods look so easy that anyone might think they could do the same thing. Therein lies the problem. As an example, observe how easy it is for skilled university professors to convert freshman students to Marxism and Communism. Students readily soak in the Marxist line because they think it holds the answer to all their wants, needs, and problems, seemingly overnight. The best part is that useful idiots do all the work. The organizers simply hold cell meetings or meet in the coffee shops, sit back and let the useful idiots do the work and take the risk. Since the Party has already infiltrated the US Government, they don't even have to worry about finding a job -- the Party will find one for them in State, Federal, or Local government. There is a good question that has been answered. "What is the difference between a tyrant and a fascist?" Not surprising, the difference is more than a matter of degree. The defining feature of a fascist is that he or she takes pleasure in controlling the lives and actions of the people. Pathologically, fascism is a form of sadistic behavior, a class of mental illness.