Customer Reviews

The coming American fascism: The crisis of capitalism

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

_The Coming American Fascism: The Crisis of Capitalism_ by political thinker Lawrence Dennis, republished by The Noontide Press, is one of the prophetic works written in 1936 before the entry of the United States into the Second World War. The enigmatic and forgotten Lawrence Dennis offered one a unique understanding of politics and economics for a world faced with the crisis of war. Although Dennis did not use the term, his politics may be thought of as populist, the unique American political tradition which offered resistance to the excesses of capitalism and the evils of communism, a nationalist and not an internationalist foreign policy, and opposition to the New World Order schemes of the elite. Populism and the thinking of Dennis may be understand as a "middle way" between those of socialism and unrestrained capitalism.

On the eve of war, Dennis who opposed the entry of the United States into the Second World War, asks several disturbing questions about the nature of capitalism. In particular, he questions whether the current system of liberalism plus democracy can handle depression and adequately deal with the problems of underconsumption and unemployment. With the current system, it becomes necessary to get rid of excess production, either by adopting socialism or through war. With the loss of the frontier and with the current system of debt, Dennis believed that planning became a necessity. The form of planning Dennis offered as an alternative to socialism is that of fascism. Dennis devotes a good deal of space to arguing against the current debt system and the practice of usury. Indeed, the Catholic church had long condemned usury as a great evil until the industrial period. Indeed, Aristotle, Jesus, and Moses all condemned the practice of money-lending and it was not until Calvin, the theologian of the shopkeepers, that usury became an accepted practice among Christians. Dennis also points to the distinction between an absolute state as understood by liberalism and an absolute state as understood by fascism. Those who believe in liberalism fail to understand that even in the current system the power of the state is absolute. As part of his proposal, Dennis suggests that the market must be enlarged and that social control must be achieved. To obtain these ends, it is necessary to create a good citizenry and for the elite to assume responsibility. It is the out-elite who will most likely find resonance with this suggestion. Dennis also includes a discussion on the role of women under the coming fascism. While it is argued by many feminists that women will be denied their rights under the coming system, Dennis believes this not to be the case, recognizing legitimate differences between the sexes. In addition, Dennis proposes a nationalist foreign policy as opposed to an internationalist policy. Dennis strongly objected to the involvement of the United States in the Second World War and was subsequently put on trial for treason. Dennis also offers some remarks about the formation of the fascist party, which he believed likely to come to power in America.

While the arguments presented by Dennis remain sound, his thinking came to change slightly after the subsequent entry of the United States into the war. For example, he came to recognize the role of foreign aid as a means for ridding the system of excess production by the capitalists. He also came to realize the real danger that war posed for the survival of mankind, especially in the light of the atomic bomb. His thinking remains important today as a warning to those who continue to enmesh the United States in foreign wars that have no direct bearing on national interest. While this book lies outside of the familiar Left versus Right spectrum, it provides a unique contribution to political thought, even if its prophecy must be somewhat revised in the light of modern developments. Nevertheless, its fundamental insights into the immorality of a system which results in modern war and crippling national debts remain sound.

Lawrence Dennis (1893-1977) was one of the most insigtful men and political thinkers during the 20th century. He clearly diagnosed the economic problems of the Great Depression and announced that the "old rules" simply did not work any longer. He accurately predicted that the Americans would adopt fascism and fascist economic policies to restore something close to full imployment. Since 1936, Dennis' predictions have been vindicated.

Dennis stated that the Great Depession was due to overproduction or underconsumption. He clearly saw the problem of the collapse of credit expanion which began during World War I and continued through most of the 1920s. However, installment purchases and high interest rates could not be absorbed forever, and when the "inflation bubble" exploded, it covered a much wider number of people than any previous economic depression in U.S. history.

The problem was not the Great Depression itself. The problem was that few knew what to do. The staunch "conservatives" whined about a planned economy which they claimed would violate their privledged status under laissez-faire. Dennis reminded these conservatives that they were the beneficiaries of government subsidies, high tariffs, protection from honest competition, etc. In other words, the conservatives' protest were hollow and hypocritical in lieu of their begging for previous government favors. Also such talk of laissez-faire was empty when the system did not work and restore full employment.

Dennis' suggestion was that there had to be a planned economic program to prevent expansive credit. He stated that consumers could not and would not pay interest payments forever,and the previous economic expansion had to be halted. He also made clear that increased savings would not necessarily lead to increased investment in a stagnent economy with high umployment.
In short, Dennis stated that the old system and the old rules simply did not work any longer, and a new system had to operate before rebellion erupted.

Dennis had some thoughts on "education" and learning. He mentioned that actualy learning had to replace normative "verbalisms." He also argued that the attempts of education "do gooders" to level education to avoid elites was incredibly stupid and inoperable. His one remark sufficed when he stated that civilizations rise and fall, but the elites go on forever. He countered the silliness that under fascism women would not do well. He countered that gifted women were often in elite circles of learning, policy making, etc. He was aware that in a planned economy women would prove their efficiency and usefullness and that marriage was perhaps better because women ruled the men in the domicle of the home.

Dennis was often smeared as "Nazi" and Fascist when he was neither. All Dennis argued was that a dramatic change had to occur to resolve problems. He never joined any Fascist party. He clearly argued against antisemitism as useless and counter productive. He certain was not a "racist" and was in fact raised by mulattoes in Georgia.

This book requires careful reading. Readers should know that Dennis was lucid in his writing style in presenting complex concepts. Readers should also read Willis Carto's preface to have a clearer inisight of this book. While Dennis has largely been consigned to the "Orwellian Memory Hole," he deserves to be read for his insight and accurate prophetic predictions.