Is fascism returning to Italy?

"Fascism" is of course a controversial term, thrown about much too loosely. Properly speaking it refers to the promotion of nationalism, militarism, and authoritarian measures at the expense of individual liberties. (To be totally correct it should refer to WWII-era activities, with current ones being called "neo-fascist.")

So it was with a measure of skepticism that I saw the term used today in a Telegraph article about the state of affairs in Italy today. That is, until I read the details:

As soldiers prepare to be deployed on Italian streets, a city mayor has been accused of Fascism after he passed an edict banning groups of more than three people congregating in parks and public gardens.

The ban will not affect courting couples who flock to parks and gardens in the northern Italian city of Novara, where Mr Giordano holds power, but if anyone is caught in a group of three or more they face a fine of 500 euro (£350)…

Around 3,000 troops are expected to begin patrolling streets of major cities - including Rome, Milan, Naples, Bari, Palermo and Venice - on Monday as part of a government clampdown on crime…Soldiers will also patrol alongside regular police officers, but they will have no powers of arrest and can merely stop, search and identify anyone who arouses suspicion. They will carry small arms, but not machine guns.

Prime Minister Berlusconi was the one who authorized the troop deployment, but it was just one mayor who has banned assemblies of three or more people. Perhaps it won’t spread. But it does give one pause…