Liberal economists endorsed Mussolini to enforce austerity on Italy’s workers

Evidence

Th is austere view of the social world is also refl ected in its liberal thought leaders’ support of the Italian Fascist regime. Indeed, as chapter 8 investigates, the international liberal establishment was convinced that Mussolini’s dictatorship was the only solution to force the austerity pill upon the “turbulent” Italian people. Fascist political methods to achieve economic success, however gruesome, could be largely tolerated thanks to their accompanying conviction that the economic and the political were two separate domains. Chapter 8 details how liberal technocrats played no minor role in consolidating Mussolini’s rule. — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 656

Th is austere view of the social world is also refl ected in its liberal thought leaders’ support of the Italian Fascist regime. Indeed, as chapter 8 investigates, the international liberal establishment was convinced that Mussolini’s dictatorship was the only solution to force the austerity pill upon the “turbulent” Italian people. Fascist political methods to achieve economic success, however gruesome, could be largely tolerated thanks to their accompanying conviction that the economic and the political were two separate domains. — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 656

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the liberal-technocracy-courts-fascism theme in The Capital Order’s later chapters and to broader debates on economics under fascism. — connects to: Mainstream economists applauded Mussolini’s austerity as sound fiscal discipline. — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 14; Liberal economist Einaudi celebrated fascism as restoring investor confidence — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 201; Liberal economists supported fascist austerity despite opposing dictatorship — Gary Mongiovi, Austerity Is an Antidemocratic Strategy…, 107 (+10 more)
• QUESTION: Worth chasing: exactly which liberal economists backed Mussolini and what institutional roles did they hold?
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order: How Economists…, 656

Broader Connections

• Liberal economists supported fascist austerity despite opposing dictatorship #corroborates (0.95) — Gary Mongiovi, Austerity Is an Antidemocratic Strategy…, 107
• Fascist Italy gave economists the rare chance to enforce their models on society #corroborates (0.85) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 1303
• Mussolini’s austerity policies won applause from international experts #exemplifies (0.85) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 14
• The Economist initially viewed Mussolini’s austerity program with sympathy as sane finance #exemplifies (0.85) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 1723
• Italian economists saw a strong government as necessary once workers gained power #expands (0.80) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 1168
• International economists forged austerity as a deliberate antiworker project #expands (0.80) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 194
• Fascist and liberal economists both endorsed rule by apolitical experts #expands (0.75) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 1171
• Economic theory reinforced the Italian austerity economists’ classist worldview #expands (0.75) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 1162
• Economists served fascism by reestablishing the economics-politics divide #expands (0.70) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 193