system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What are the differences between a fascist dictatorship and a communist dictatorship?
gpt
First up let's look at what fascism actually entails:
the core points are:

1. nationalism, fascists belief  that their country is one of their most important facets and that a nation binds it's people together as a single unity. This is often (but not always) combined with strong racist feelings about who truly belong to a given nation. 

2. totalitarianism fascists belief that a single party is what makes a country strong.

3. economically fascists belief in a hybrid model of free market (but not international trade) and a strong government operated economy. 

4. Action fascists belief that action always beats inaction and that something must be done against any and all problems (even if we don't know how)

5. Strict roles fascists belief in gender age (and sometimes racial) roles which one should follow. 

6. modernism fascists want a technologically advanced military orientated nations.


Then look at what at it's core communists do:
Communists belief that after a revolution by the workers a truly equal society can be created. In order to get there however a period know as the Dictatorship of the proletariat must be passed. During this period a number of people must take an authoritarian stance to ensure that the revolution will succeed. Almost all communist dictatorships *get stuck in this situation so let's examine it a bit closer.

They are again totalitarian (2), they belief in a government owned and operated government and often do not wish to trade with other nations that have not yet embraced the revolution. Often times the revolution does start with an idea of getting factors (at least in China and Russia) as the revolution requires factory workers and the glory of the needs of the many are put ahead of the needs of the few making it's own form of nationalism. 


So both end up pretty similar, noticeable differences are that you can be independently rich in a fascist state while you must be part of the ruling elites (which are not supposed to exist) to be rich in a communist dictatorship. A fascist state is more likely to focus on great feats of a single person while a fascist communist one is more likely to focus on taking actions for the good of the many (inspiration from a  great athlete or great worker). 

But both definitely share a lot. Interestingly enough in it's extreme even a monopolistic capitalist society also moves in the same direction suggesting that perhaps these properties are more about having a strong autocratic society rather then what your ruling ideology is. 




^*some ^might ^question ^whatever ^or ^not ^a ^society ^that ^is ^stuck ^in ^the ^Dictatorship ^of ^the ^proletariat ^is ^not ^actually ^a ^failed ^revolution ^as ^the ^state ^is ^supposed ^to ^last ^only ^for ^a ^short ^period ^of ^time ^and ^should ^not ^allow ^for ^the ^creation ^of ^a ^standing ^ruling ^elite.