Not Fascism, But Lack of Thinking Is the Danger
Lee, Algernon
Not Fascism, But Lack of Thinking Is the Danger By Alqernon Lee ACCORDING to one of the leading official i,.,i„-i of Soviet Russia the popularity of lluey I/>ng and Jfather Coughlin proves...
...People listen to them because they give vigorous vocal expression to a widespread feeling of discontent and resentment...
...They have no patience with theory of any sort...
...Despite his onerous dutief, in the Rand School, Comrade Lee has undertaken this work for the New Leader...
...Under his direction many party members have boon trained for important party work and mefmbers of trade unions have been fitted for effective service for their organizations...
...let's cut down the purchasing P°"»|1fl the dollar...
...He hfll ways against something or someone, but no fl knows what he is for, I don't believe he knows, j one sense Huey Long does know what he is for-fl is for the political advancement of Huey Long;' jB| has no thought out program to offer to his ln|h>w|fl but he is ready to promise them the moon...
...The one bright spot in the picture as I see Stand that spot is getting bigger and brighter—is the development of the American labor movement, both in numerical strength and in constructive intelligence and sense of responsibility...
...4 Jwernmtnr Perm «f Ustarpetioa...
...We do not have in this country the feeling of frustrated nationalism, which is a leading feature of European fascism...
...The progress that has been made in this direction within the last lew years is just aa striking as the lack of constructive inelligence in Washington, Dotinit and Louisiana.' If our Socialist Party will once and for all quit...
...If violent react ion comes in this country it may be something just a* bad as fascism, but it will be different It will take the form of usurpation of i dictatorial powers by the government itself, which ' may be made possible through the lack of intelligent Eself-confidence in the minds of the American people...
...Long and Ctmghlin are but two more in a long list of demagogues, who have commanded the attention of the American people, one after another, but haw seldom played any decisive role in American public life...
...They think it more practical to try one thing after another in the hope that they may hit on the right one...
...He is a Marxian scholar and has been an important figure in practically every national convention of the party since 1000...
...Comrade Lee is a pioneer in workers' education, having been connected with the Rand School of Social Science since it was founded in 1906...
...The pity of it is that President Roosevelt, ilifferafl ss he is, in some respects, from Long and Cnughliaflj no nearer to having a thought-out program tflj either of them...
...Father Coughlin is very, effective on the line of demagogic attack...
...States, an armed insurrection of ignorantly discontented masses Would not have the I< a-t 'po*.:ibijity.of success...
...Labor Is the Hope of Future President Roosevelt probably wishes to use only democratic and humane methods...
...But this shakes confidence and d iscour-j ages investment...
...In fact, it is a patch-lljjfl made up of suggestions which he has picked *Jk from all quarters, and which simply do not BfSB gether...
...Of confidence in his own fjfl luck President Roosevelt had more than rnougfl Cheerfully forgetting everything he had said- dSH ing the campaign, he jumped in to see what he caqfl do on the spur of the moment...
...And so on to the end of the rhefl ter, each bright idea contradicting...
...So far there is not the slightest - , . , , _ . i . hint of anything constructive in his talks...
...Under existing conditions in the united...
...1 do not...
...to avoid that, let's pay the worker* otfl $50.00 a month...
...profit...
...The whole hajfl mass of legislation that we call the New Deal...
...Not Fascism, But Lack of Thinking Is the Danger By Alqernon Lee ACCORDING to one of the leading official i,.,i„-i of Soviet Russia the popularity of lluey I/>ng and Jfather Coughlin proves that "the fasclsi danger is" assiii iiiiig "ronCicr?' frjrrn~ m the United States," No doubt many American, observers share that view...
...another...
...Mary Pick ford knows her public when she asks: "Why Not Try Godff Ho harm done...
...We used to have a popular Wig with the refrain: "We don't know where we're going, but we're on our way..4...
...let's guarantee profits by legalise...
...price-fix ing and stimulate business by lending tjkjfl ernment money right and left...
...Lead i nz...
...But HJ farmer' want higher prices for their produce...
...They are always looking for short cuts...
...That, in my opinion, is a much more present danger than any fascism led by a Long or a" Coughlin...
...When I say that I do not see any present danger of fascism in the United States,] am using the word fascism in a strict sense, I mean the sort of thing which we have seen triumphing'in Italy and in Germany...
...flirting with the silly idea of revolutionary dietator-j ship, quit depending upon - personal leaders, ami make the sense of solidarity with Organized Labor its guiding principle, it can .even now make up for...
...Perhaps tlhe root of the trouble is that they are net in the habit of thinking things out thoroughly...
...High prices hurt tfl sale of products...
...fl ostensibly due to him...
...He had a Congress that w<|fl eat out of his hand...
...fcfl| pay them for destroying their crops...
...If it turns out to be a bad bet, we can try Buddhism, or Pink Pills, or the Louisiana KIngfish...
...What is more important, we do not have a condition whrie Urge masses of the people are armed or able to- get hold of arms...
...Individualistic effort no longer has much chance of success ,u> these days of largescale organization of the principal industries...
...I do not believe that there is any specific danger of fascism in the United States...
...the opportunities it has missed and add enormously to the strength of a constructive democratic move-1 ment of and for the masses...
...Socialists abroad, having attended many international Socialist Congresses as a delegate of the Socialist Party...
...But if in consequence of the aimlessly mixed policies he is following, economic conditions become worse to the extent as to rouse opposition among capitalists on dne side and the suffering masses on the other, he man be tempted to try a sort of Presidential Dictator/ ship...
...And if he does, it will be arbitrary and cruel and destructive, as all dictatorships are...
...The oVMkfl need relief...
...Unfortunately, while- the large-scale organisation is developed in business enterprise, the masses of our people have not learned how to organize effectively for de m i.era tie purposes...
...We are glad that his keen mind has been enlisted in the service of The New Leader and we are sure that our readers will appreciate his work...
...Comrade Lee has long been recognized as one of the leading scholars of the Socialist movement of this country...
...Besides this, they appeal to the sporting interest of the American) people, who love to applaud a fight without necessarily wishing to mix in...
...There must be food and clothing for IB so we nm t have increased production...
...By the Editor WITH this issue we run the first of what will be a continuous feature each week by Algernon Lee, president of the Rand School of Social Science...
...He came into office with a treqflfl dous majority back of him at a moment whenflj whole population, from the big capitalist down ttiflj ruined farmers and unemployed workingmen, vflf scared stiff and were willing to give full Pownfl '" the new President...
...Americans u?ed to be very self-confident in an individualistic way...
...He has also for three decades been v n»* I, to...
...That is the weak side of American life...
...let's increase the people's purcheB ing power by employing millions on public woru| But cutting down the army of the unemployed may . boost waffb rates, which will diminish employer...
Vol. 18 • March 1935 • No. 11
