Jmabel in regards to predominant scholary consensus who is it that allegedly claims despite Third Way rhetoric fascism in power functioned rather consistently as a rightwing force As far as Im aware owning numerous books on the subject that is not the scholary consensus at all The consensus developed by respected scholars of fascism who write in a manner which is not bias to any interest group such as Roger Griffin Hamish McDonald Roger Eatwell and Zeev Sternhell all recongise fascism as a Third Way as the references show  The only dissenters Im aware of who seem to think fascism has absoutely no leftist connections and is merely a radical right system are street level socialists who want to put as much distance between the movements as possible This of course does not come from educated people in a position to write books For example even the foremost scholary expert on Fascism and a former member of both the Communist Party and then Socialist Party of Italy Renzo De Felice doesnt try to cover up its socialistic origins and third way status This is a man who has wrote a definitive seven volume piece on Mussolini