(Posted by John)
Totally random note here: Via Wikipedia, I see that the French Parliament's coat of arms still includes the fasces. This is kind of suprising to me, given that the fasces (an axe-like weapon with a bundle of rods as a handle) was the symbol behind (and the derivation of the word) Fascism.
Now, admittedly the French have a longer claim to the fasces than Mussolini, but still. You don't see too many (non-evil) people proudly waving the swastika. Makes you wonder why some icons persist without having their reputation tarnished, while some are condemned to the ash-heap.
Additional creepiness: The Knights of Columbus, the group responsible for adding the words "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, also use the fasces in their seal. And that, I think, I'm going to leave at that.
