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> fascism means dismantling it and replacing it with direct power

Is that true? Why is that the label and not "monarchy" for example?

They are not necessarily mutually exclusive terms, you could have a fascist monarchy as much as you could have a liberal one. Monarchy describes the system of government as ruled by a regent. Fascism describes the attitude of a government (or movement) to conserve an existing social order, or regress to one. This is done with mechanisms of direct power e.g., single-party rule (totalitarianism), military power (military-dictatorship/police state), or via the commands of a single individual (dictatorship).

> you could have a fascist monarchy as much as you could have a liberal one

I think you've transposed fascist and authoritarian. Fascism isn't a synonym for authoritarianism. Fascism and some types of monarchy are both authoritarian.

I think what distinguishes fascism from plain authoritarianism is that, with fascism, a segment of the population is enthusiastically participating.

But that's true for all the socialist nightmares in the 20th century as well.

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