How is Benito Mussolini viewed in Italy?

Question

If you show any form of respect to Adolf Hitler in Germany, you're branded a racist, shunned by people and can quite easily be arrested for it, it's an extremely sensitive issue in Germany and any open displays of Nazism/Fascism are illegal and are arrestable offenses.

I'm told that while Mussolini is understandably a very controversial figure in Italy, respecting him or supporting his policies isn't illegal and isn't considered a sin like it is in Germany. h**l, his grandaughter is a prominent right-wing politition in Italy who appears to openly look-up to him, and there are some streets in Italian towns that are offically named "Via Benito Mussolini". It definately seems to be more acceptable to talk about him in a positive light, than it does to talk about Hitler in a positive light in Germany.

Also, could it possibly stem from a lot of Italians are right-wing inclined and often quite nationalistic, as opossed to Germany wher nationalism is considered a negative trait. I get the impression that a lot of Italians are getting sick of unskilled North Africans coming into their country taking Italian jobs and participating on various illegal activities. What is so wrong with standing up for your country, why most that be racist?

What are your observations/opinions?

Answer 1

I'm italian and I don't speak English very well, but we don't shoot to the north afrikans people (and we have problems with Romania, Ucraina,Marocco,Albania people because they have no job here but they want money and so they make every bad things to have money) , they arrived and the politics give them every kind of help but they prefers to be out of law because they have more money in this way.. but you shoot to cubans people when they arrived in USA to came back in Cuba as soon as possible,  your solution is better because they think twice before to go in USA... Second way you don't know our histoy if you say that Hitler is like Mussolini. Mussolini builded (it's correct to say this when you grow up a lot of building for the people?? I don't know the correct word), He made University, he gaved job for everyone, he gaved money to the family for every newborn baby,he never said to killed millions innocent because he didn't search a perfect italian ... anyway we have not n**i people in Italy... we had a lot of people who died during the Holocaust how can you say that the right-wing is the same of nazism?? we want what everyone wants : peace, a job for everyone, a home...And Alessandra Mussolini is a good politic-woman, that thinks for the safety of our country, expecially for the safety_women....

Answer 2

Look at America, in 60 years who's going to stand up for George W. Bush?  Fewer and fewer stand up for him NOW.

Mussolini's Fascism was supposed to bring people together (muscle is called fascia, which means a bundle of sticks, because they're a bundle of fibers, kind of like a pony tail at the tie).  Whether it did that I cannot say, my family lineage is italian but I didn't study Italian History, nor have I ever been there to ask someone.  

I believe the fact that Mussolini and Hitler were great allies to one another does Benito no favors - Hitler really liked him.  The reason history tends to view Mussolini as negative is that he did little to stop the Holocaust.

In my opinion, the differences between the men lies in how they lived; one man started a war and tried to exterminate 6 million human beings like bugs.  The other joined his side and watched, expressing little to no emotion over the tragedy, even as his own people were taken.

I think most people like to see compassion and integrity in their leaders.  

With the three leaders mentioned here, there seems to be little of those admirable qualities present.

Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. -  H.G.Wells

The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.

- William H. Borrah

Answer 3

No, I don't agree with "macchianera". I'm italian and I can say that Mussolini is bad-considered.