system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: What is Fascism?
gpt
Fascism comes from the Latin word *fasces*, which is a bundle of sticks. While a single stick is easily broken, a bundle of sticks is much stronger.

Using the same line of thinking, fascism is a form of government which says "if our people unite into one group, like the sticks, we will be unbreakable." Usually, the people unite through nationalism (which is pride in their particular homeland).

Unfortunately what this means is that differences between the people are unacceptable because in order to be a good bundle of sticks they must all be the same. If you are from a different race, religion, political ideology, etc., you may be tagged as an enemy of the state because according to fascism, diversity is weakness. 

Instead of democracy and voting, dictators easily rise to power in a fascist society because it's the government's job to tell its people what is wrong and what is right.