The American "Progressives" were the first Fascists of the 20th century

By John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.)

 

"Hayek's challenge was to argue that German Nazism was not an aberrant "right-wing" perversion growing out of the "contradictions" of capitalism. Instead, the Nazi movement had developed out of the "enlightened" and "progressive" socialist and collectivist ideas of the pre-World War I era, which many intellectuals in England and the United States had praised and propagandized for in their own countries."

 

This article aims to give a brief review of the ideas that Hayek was referring to in the above quotation. Note also these words: "Fascism was really the basis of the New Deal". What Ronald Reagan was referring to in 1976 when he said that will become very clear below.

 

"Fascism" is a term that was originally coined by the Italian dictator Mussolini to describe his adaptation of Marxism to the conditions of Italy after World War I. Lenin in Russia made somewhat different adaptations of Marxism to the conditions in Russia during the same period and his adaptations came to be called Marxism/Leninism. Mussolini stayed closer to Marx in that he felt that Italy had to go through a capitalist stage before it could reach socialism whereas Lenin attempted to push Russia straight from semi-feudalism into socialism. Mussolini's principal modification of Marxism was his rejection of the notion of class war, something that put him decisively at odds with Lenin's "Reds".


If the term "Fascism" means anything of itself it means "Groupism" -- as the fasci of Italy at the time were simply groups of political activists. The fasces of ancient Roman times were of course the bundles of rods carried by the lictors to symbolize the great strength of the organized Roman people. The idea again was that people were stronger in groups than as individuals.
Mussolini's ideas and system were very influential and he had many imitators -- not the least of which was Adolf Hitler -- and some even survived World War II -- such as Peron and Chiang Kai Shek. I have set out at length elsewhere what Mussolini's Italian Fascism was all about so I will simply summarize here by saying that Fascism was a nationalist form of extreme socialism whereas Trotskyism was/is a internationalist form of extreme socialism -- with Leninism being somewhere in between.

So was Mussolini a totally original thinker? Not at all. Students of ancient history see Sparta as the first Fascist State and students of Marx identify Fascism with "Bonapartism" (See Appendix 3 below) -- the type of regime devised by Napoleon Bonaparte and revived by his nephew Napoleon III. But Mussolini was quite intellectual and his thinking was in fact much more up-to-date than that would suggest. He was certainly influenced by Marx and the ancient world but he had a whole range of ideas that extended beyond that. And where did he turn for up-to-date ideas? To America, of course! And the American ideas that influenced him were in fact hard to miss. They were the ideas of the American "Progressives". And who was the best known Progressive in the world at that time? None other than the President of the United States -- Woodrow Wilson -- the man who was most responsible for the postwar order in Europe. So Mussolini had to do little more than read his newspapers to hear at least some things about the ideas of the very influential American Progressives. And who were the Progressives? Here is one summary of them:

"Originally, progressive reformers sought to regulate irresponsible corporate monopoly, safeguarding consumers and labor from the excesses of the profit motive. Furthermore, they desired to correct the evils and inequities created by rapid and uncontrolled urbanization. Progressivism ..... asserted that the social order could and must be improved..... Some historians, like Richard Hofstadter and George Mowry, have argued that the progressive movement attempted to return America to an older, more simple, agrarian lifestyle. For a few progressives, this certainly was true. But for most, a humanitarian doctrine of social progress motivated the reforming spirit"

The summary of Progressivism above is from De Corte (1978). Against all his own evidence, De Corte also claims that the Progressives were "conservative". Why? Because there was something else about the Progressives that profoundly embarrasses both De Corte and all modern Leftists: The Progressives were keen eugenicists. So DeCorte tries to evade that. See here and hereand also Pickens (1968) for the Leftist committment to eugenics prior to World War II. The following quotation, however, gives the highly racist basis for "Progressive" thinking on the matter:

"Into the scarcity thus created in particular districts, in particular sections of the labour market, or in particular social strata, there rush the offspring of the less thrifty, the less intellectual, the less foreseeing of races and classes - the unskilled casual labourers of our great cities, the races of Eastern or Southern Europe, the negroes, the Chinese - possibly resulting, as already in parts of the USA, in such a heterogeneous and mongrel population that democratic self-government, or even the effective application of the policy of a national minimum of civilised life, will become increasingly unattainable.
If anything like this happens, it is difficult to avoid the melancholy conclusion that, in some cataclysm that it is impossible for us to foresee, that civilisation characteristic of the Western European races may go the way of half a dozen other civilisations that have within historic times preceded it; to be succeeded by a new social order developed by one or other of the coloured races, the negro, the kaffir or the Chinese"

Excerpt from "Fabians" Sidney and Beatrice Webb – from their article "The Great Alternative", New Statesman, 20/8/1913 (Quoted in 'Fabianism and Colonialism' by Francis Lee).

 

Continue reading:

http://ray-dox.blogspot.com/2006/05/american-roots-of-fascism-ameri...

 

Views: 240

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Excellent, Nathan. Thanks for this.

History needs to be revisited often- always interesting, and this is very timely to our present times too.

Your welcome, Sue.
I completely agree that history should be studied for if not we will be caught unawares when history revisits us ;) [not to mention being unable to understand how we arrived in our present circumstances].
In my early yrs. I focused on military history but I soon discovered that all history is military history :D

"There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know." Harry S. Truman

"History may not repeat itself, but it does rhyme." - Mark Twain.

I love history. You're expertise on the subject would sort of fill in the gaps on mine. I always focused more on cultural history and only later read much about the military aspects, and even now I can be a little sketchy on war timelines.

What I have found most fascinating is the study of eras about ten years prior to major conflicts, as you can see the problems developing, decisions made and the options diminishing until finally the war becomes inevitable. But inevitable from the perspective of history- at the time, the outbreak of war and rebellion came as a surprise to most people. In the years before the Civil War, there were writers who predicted it but airly dismissed as alarmists (I guess they were viewed as the tin foil hat people of the day).

I just finished reading a series of articles on Signs of the Times (SOTT) website, entitled "Inside the Laurel Canyon." I might even start a thread here about it. If you're interested in the 1960s protest movement, you'll want to read this. The author is very entertaining and the articles very well researched. It's an investigative study of the likely CIA creation of the '60s counterculture, for the purpose of directing social focus. Interesting how deeply connected many of the '60s cultural icons were with murders (including Manson) and various other weird things, yet were never indicted, and many crimes not even investigated.

Again, thanks so much for posting this article. There are so many undercurrents to history that get lost or suppressed in the official history.

Sue,

I look forward to reading it, ma'am.

Nathan: Once again your research is impecable and accurate....thank you for the history lesson....Semper Fi

Paladin.

Thank you but I simply posted it. Mr. Ray rightfully deserves all accolades. 

If you haven't read them, and your interested in further info, I recommend Liberal Fascism by Jonah Goldberg and The German Genius by Peter Watson. Mr. Watson's book, while not solely devoted to socialism/fascism/progressivism, is quite the history lesson and well worth the read [if, like myself, you wish to understand the origins of the ideology and follow it's progression into the present day].

I've read Goldberg, I'll scrounge around and see if I can find Peter Watson. Thanks for the references.

Semper Fi

The article confirms for me that 60's radicals who are now in charge of things are still trying to push that agenda. Here is a list if you want to learn about them.
http://www.westernjournalism.com/exclusive-investigative-reports/ob...
Good article Nathan.
Funny how it mentions eugenics, and the progs of today ignore that fact especially when it pertains to planned parenthood.

Funny how it mentions eugenics, and the progs of today ignore that fact....

Good point, Chip. Although I'm not sure how many 'ignore' the fact vs how many just don't know. I suspect the majority are simply useful idiots :)

I think it's a little bit of both. I have brought this to the attention of some progs and I'm always told I'm living in the past and I'm a racist for bringing it up. Lol maybe you're right, they are idiots.

RSS

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

tjdavis posted a video

Alabama’s Biggest Secret - Operation Paperclip 🇺🇸

In the north of Alabama is the city of Huntsville. It's here where German scientists built NASA in secrecy after World War II. Operation Paperclip is still s...
1 hour ago
tjdavis posted a photo
3 hours ago
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"Cheeki kea always nice to her you chime in and you're damn right! "
17 hours ago
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"Les Prone thanks for your support Dude! "
17 hours ago
Doc Vega posted blog posts
18 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a photo

The inconvenient truth

Trump spells it out!
21 hours ago
Sandy posted a photo
yesterday
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post What Made the Founding Fathers of America so Brilliant?
yesterday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Motives of Joe, to shit in the well by showing totally irrelevant proof?"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Less, Motives of Wyatt or Joe? What archeologist wouldn't want proof of Jesus as part of his…"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"Less Prone, Considering Joe Rogan to be the gatekeeper of anything is just short of ridiculous the…"
yesterday
MAC posted a video

Don't Go To Hong Kong Now (Even on Connecting Flights)

Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code laowhy86 for an extra 3 months free at https://Surfshark.deals/laowhy86Article 23 in Hong Kong is real,...
yesterday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

Terrorist Attack on Moscow - Ukraine Committing Suicide? | Larry C. Johnson

"...And I guess I'll just park this you tube here also for something to ponder from last year.…"
Tuesday
tjdavis posted photos
Tuesday
Less Prone posted a video

Climate: The Movie (The Cold Truth) NL

Deze nieuwe documentaire van de Britse filmmaker Martin Durkin toont aan dat klimaatalarm een verzonnen doembeeld is zonder enige wetenschappelijke basis. He...
Monday
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Why didn't the Archeological World Announce Proof that Jesus Lived?
"It can be true, but why isn't he offering real evidence? What are his motives?"
Monday
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
Monday
cheeki kea favorited Less Prone's blog post Going against the stream of lies and death
Monday
cheeki kea commented on Doc Vega's blog post Americans You’re Being Squeezed Out!
"You're spot on in regards to the the real estate component of this mass migrant mess Doc V and…"
Monday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's video
Thumbnail

Terrorist Attack on Moscow - Ukraine Committing Suicide? | Larry C. Johnson

"This video out 2 days ago but the 4 terrorists already caught and 11 others involved identified…"
Monday

© 2024   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted