Fascism in the Contemporary World

mitic, and in this context was out of step with the other fascist﷓like right﷓wing parties in Hungary at the time (Palmer, 1970, p. 223). Hungary's fascist government lasted through the Second World War.Conditions in post﷓communist Hungary provide a rich environment for the fostering of fascist thought. To be brief, in present day Hungary the economy is in as bad or worse shape than it was under the former Communist system (Holman, 1994, p. A12). In 1991, the most recent year for which accurate data are available, non﷓manufacturing industrial activity accounted for 38 percent of Hungary's gross domestic product (GDP), while manufacturing accounted for 28 percent, services for 20 percent, and agriculture 14 percent (Frydman, Rapaczynski, and Earle, 1993, p. 97). This structure places Hungary at some point between a Third World country and a developed economy within the context of the structure of production.Inflation is high in Hungary. Prices rises have not slowed during the country's post﷓Communist recession (Weidmann, 1993, pp. 104﷓105). Double﷓digit inflation in the twenties, double﷓digit unemployment in the teens, and low wages have combined to create an economic nightmare for the majority of Hungarians.Economic progress is not being accomplished in the context of growth in Hungary, the East European country with an economy closest to a western model. Economic growth averaged six﷓percent per year in the 1971﷓1975 period, four﷓percent in the 1976﷓1980 period, and one﷓percent in the 1981﷓1985 period. The 1986﷓1990 period witnessed an average one﷓percent per year decline in economic activity, and the decline in 1991 was three percent. In the first full year of reform in 1992, economic output plunged 11﷓percent.Converting macroeconomic data to more usable figures, the average monthly wage in Hungary approximates...