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Henry A. Wallace, The Danger of American Fascism

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TheDangerofAmericanFascism
HenryA.Wallace
AnarticleintheNewYorkTimes,April9,1944. FromHenryA.Wallace,DemocracyReborn(NewYork,1944),editedby RussellLord,p.259.

1. OnreturningfrommytriptotheWestinFebruary,Ireceiveda requestfromTheNewYorkTimestowriteapieceansweringthe followingquestions: 1. Whatisafascist? 2. Howmanyfascistshavewe? 3. Howdangerousarethey? 2. Afascistisonewhoselustformoneyorpoweriscombinedwithsuch anintensityofintolerancetowardthoseofotherraces,parties, classes,religions,cultures,regionsornationsastomakehimruthless inhisuseofdeceitorviolencetoattainhisends.Thesupremegodof afascist,towhichhisendsaredirected,maybemoneyorpower maybearaceoraclassmaybeamilitary,cliqueoraneconomic groupormaybeaculture,religion,orapoliticalparty.

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3. Theperfecttypeoffascistthroughoutrecentcenturieshasbeenthe PrussianJunker,whodevelopedsuchhatredforotherracesandsuch allegiancetoamilitarycliqueastomakehimwillingatalltimesto engageinanydegreeofdeceitandviolencenecessarytoplacehis cultureandraceastridetheworld.Ineverybignationoftheworldare atleastafewpeoplewhohavethefascisttemperament.EveryJew baiter,everyCatholichater,isafascistatheart.Thehoodlumswho havebeendesecratingchurches,cathedralsandsynagoguesinsome ofourlargercitiesareripematerialforfascistleadership. 4. TheobvioustypesofAmericanfascistsaredealtwithontheairand inthepress.Thesedemagoguesandstoogesarefrontsforothers. Dangerousasthesepeoplemaybe,theyarenotsosignificantas thousandsofotherpeoplewhohaveneverbeenmentioned.Thereally dangerousAmericanfascistsarenotthosewhoarehookedupdirectly orindirectlywiththeAxis.TheFBIhasitsfingeronthose.The dangerousAmericanfascististhemanwhowantstodointheUnited StatesinanAmericanwaywhatHitlerdidinGermanyinaPrussian way.TheAmericanfascistwouldprefernottouseviolence.His methodistopoisonthechannelsofpublicinformation.Withafascist theproblemisneverhowbesttopresentthetruthtothepublicbut howbesttousethenewstodeceivethepublicintogivingthefascist andhisgroupmoremoneyormorepower. 5. IfwedefineanAmericanfascistasonewhoincaseofconflictputs moneyandpoweraheadofhumanbeings,thenthereareundoubtedly severalmillionfascistsintheUnitedStates.Thereareprobably severalhundredthousandifwenarrowthedefinitiontoincludeonly thosewhointheirsearchformoneyandpowerareruthlessand deceitful.MostAmericanfascistsareenthusiasticallysupportingthe wareffort.Theyaredoingthiseveninthosecaseswheretheyhopeto haveprofitableconnectionswithGermanchemicalfirmsafterthewar ends.Theyarepatrioticintimeofwarbecauseitistotheirinterestto beso,butintimeofpeacetheyfollowpowerandthedollarwherever theymaylead.

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6. Americanfascismwillnotbereallydangerousuntilthereisa purposefulcoalitionamongthecartelists,thedeliberatepoisonersof publicinformation,andthosewhostandfortheK.K.K.typeof demagoguery. 7. TheEuropeanbrandoffascismwillprobablypresentitsmostserious postwarthreattousviaLatinAmerica.Theeffectofthewarhasbeen toraisethecostoflivinginmostLatinAmericancountriesmuchfaster thanthewagesoflabor.ThefascistsinmostLatinAmericancountries tellthepeoplethatthereasontheirwageswillnotbuyasmuchinthe wayofgoodsisbecauseofYankeeimperialism.ThefascistsinLatin Americalearntospeakandactlikenatives.Ourchemicalandother manufacturingconcernsarealltoooftenreadytolettheGermans haveLatinAmericanmarkets,providedtheAmericancompaniescan workoutanarrangementwhichwillenablethemtochargehighprices totheconsumerinsidetheUnitedStates.Followingthiswar, technologywillhavereachedsuchapointthatitwillbepossiblefor Germans,usingSouthAmericaasabase,tocauseusmuchmore difficultyinWorldWarIIIthantheydidinWorldWarII.Themilitary andlandowningcliquesinmanySouthAmericancountrieswillfindit attractivefinanciallytoworkwithGermanfascistconcernsaswellas expedientfromthestandpointoftemporarypowerpolitics. 8. Fascismisaworldwidedisease.ItsgreatestthreattotheUnited Stateswillcomeafterthewar,eitherviaLatinAmericaorwithinthe UnitedStatesitself. 9. Stillanotherdangerisrepresentedbythosewho,payinglipserviceto democracyandthecommonwelfare,intheirinsatiablegreedfor moneyandthepowerwhichmoneygives,donothesitate surreptitiouslytoevadethelawsdesignedtosafeguardthepublicfrom monopolisticextortion.Americanfascistsofthisstampwere clandestinelyalignedwiththeirGermancounterpartsbeforethewar, andareevennowpreparingtoresumewheretheyleftoff,after"the presentunpleasantness"ceases: 10. Thesymptomsoffascistthinkingarecoloredbyenvironmentand
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adaptedtoimmediatecircumstances.Butalwaysandeverywherethey canbeidentifiedbytheirappealtoprejudiceandbythedesiretoplay uponthefearsandvanitiesofdifferentgroupsinordertogainpower. Itisnocoincidencethatthegrowthofmoderntyrantshasinevery casebeenheraldedbythegrowthofprejudice.Itmaybeshockingto somepeopleinthiscountrytorealizethat,withoutmeaningtodoso, theyholdviewsincommonwithHitlerwhentheypreachdiscrimination againstotherreligious,racialoreconomicgroups.Likewise,many peoplewhosepatriotismistheirproudestboastplayHitler'sgameby retailingdistrustofourAlliesandbygivingcurrencytosnide suspicionswithoutfoundationinfact. 11. TheAmericanfascistsaremosteasilyrecognizedbytheirdeliberate perversionoftruthandfact.Theirnewspapersandpropaganda carefullycultivateeveryfissureofdisunity,everycrackinthecommon frontagainstfascism.Theyuseeveryopportunitytoimpugn democracy.Theyuseisolationismasaslogantoconcealtheirown selfishimperialism.TheycultivatehateanddistrustofbothBritainand Russia.Theyclaimtobesuperpatriots,buttheywoulddestroyevery libertyguaranteedbytheConstitution.Theydemandfreeenterprise, butarethespokesmenformonopolyandvestedinterest.Theirfinal objectivetowardwhichalltheirdeceitisdirectedistocapturepolitical powersothat,usingthepowerofthestateandthepowerofthe marketsimultaneously,theymaykeepthecommonmanineternal subjection. 12. Severalleadersofindustryinthiscountrywhohavegainedanew visionofthemeaningofopportunitythroughcooperationwith governmenthavewarnedthepublicopenlythattherearesomeselfish groupsinindustrywhoarewillingtojeopardizethestructureof Americanlibertytogainsometemporaryadvantage.Weallknowthe partthatthecartelsplayedinbringingHitlertopower,andtherulethe giantGermantrustshaveplayedinNaziconquests.Monopolistswho fearcompetitionandwhodistrustdemocracybecauseitstandsfor equalopportunitywouldliketosecuretheirpositionagainstsmalland energeticenterprise.Inanefforttoeliminatethepossibilityofanyrival

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growingup,somemonopolistswouldsacrificedemocracyitself. 13. Ithasbeenclaimedattimesthatourmodernageoftechnology facilitatesdictatorship.Whatwemustunderstandisthatthe industries,processes,andinventionscreatedbymodernsciencecan beusedeithertosubjugateorliberate.Thechoiceisuptous.The mythoffascistefficiencyhasdeludedmanypeople.ItwasMussolini's vauntedclaimthathe"madethetrainsrunontime."Intheend, however,hebroughttotheItalianpeopleimpoverishmentanddefeat. ItwasHitler'sclaimthatheeliminatedallunemploymentinGermany. Neitheristhereunemploymentinaprisoncamp. 14. Democracytocrushfascisminternallymustdemonstrateitscapacity to"makethetrainsrunontime."Itmustdeveloptheabilitytokeep peoplefullyemployedandatthesametimebalancethebudget.It mustputhumanbeingsfirstanddollarssecond.Itmustappealto reasonanddecencyandnottoviolenceanddeceit.Wemustnot tolerateoppressivegovernmentorindustrialoligarchyintheformof monopoliesandcartels.Aslongasscientificresearchandinventive ingenuityoutranourabilitytodevisesocialmechanismstoraisethe livingstandardsofthepeople,wemayexpecttheliberalpotentialof theUnitedStatestoincrease.Ifthisliberalpotentialisproperly channeled,wemayexpecttheareaoffreedomoftheUnitedStatesto increase.Theproblemistospendupourrateofsocialinventioninthe serviceofthewelfareofallthepeople. 15. Theworldwide,agelongstrugglebetweenfascismanddemocracywill notstopwhenthefightingendsinGermanyandJapan.Democracy canwinthepeaceonlyifitdoestwothings: 1. Speedsuptherateofpoliticalandeconomicinventionssothat bothproductionand,especially,distributioncanmatchintheir powerandpracticaleffectonthedailylifeofthecommonmanthe immenseandgrowingvolumeofscientificresearch,mechanical inventionandmanagementtechnique. 2. Vivifieswiththegreatestintensitythespiritualprocesseswhich areboththefoundationandtheveryessenceofdemocracy.
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16. Themoralandspiritualaspectsofbothpersonalandinternational relationshipshaveapracticalbearingwhichsocalledpracticalmen deny.Thisdullnessofvisionregardingtheimportanceofthegeneral welfaretotheindividualisthemeasureofthefailureofourschools andchurchestoteachthespiritualsignificanceofgenuinedemocracy. Untildemocracyineffectiveenthusiasticactionfillsthevacuum createdbythepowerofmoderninventions,wemayexpectthe fasciststoincreaseinpowerafterthewarbothintheUnitedStates andintheworld. 17. FascisminthepostwarinevitablywillpushsteadilyforAngloSaxon imperialismandeventuallyforwarwithRussia.AlreadyAmerican fascistsaretalkingandwritingaboutthisconflictandusingitasan excusefortheirinternalhatredsandintolerancestowardcertainraces, creedsandclasses. 18. Itshouldalsobeevidentthatexhibitionsofthenativebrandof fascismarenotconfinedtoanysinglesection,classorreligion. Happily,itcanbesaidthatasyetfascismhasnotcaptureda predominantplaceintheoutlookofanyAmericansection,classor religion.ItmaybeencounteredinWallStreet,MainStreetorTobacco Road.Someevensuspectthattheycandetectincipienttracesofit alongthePotomac.Itisaninfectiousdisease,andwemustallbeon ourguardagainstintolerance,bigotryandthepretensionofinvidious distinction.Butifweputourtrustinthecommonsenseofcommon menand"withmalicetowardnoneandcharityforall"goforwardon thegreatadventureofmakingpolitical,economicandsocial democracyapracticalreality,weshallnotfail.

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