The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-14
report by Comrade Earl Browder for the Central Committee
To the 9th National Convention Communist Party, Z. S.

ing it before fascism. But Fascism cannot win
mass support directly in the working class
ranks. It must find indirect support This it
finds in the Socialist Party leadership and the
reformist trade union of1caldom. These lead
ers influencing the ma jority Of the working
class, hold back the workers from revolutionary
struggle which alone can defeat and destroy
Fascism, and under the slogan of defense Of
democracy, and choosing the lesser evil" lead
the workers to submit to and support the inter
mediate steps to the introduction Of Fascsm.
That is why we call these leaders social
fascists" and their theories "social-fascism."
In the United States, fascism is being pre-
pared along essentially the same lines that it
was prepared in Germany and Austria
The Socialist and A. F. Of L. leaders are tax
ing essentially the same course taken by their
brothers in Europe. But the workers in the
U. s. have the tremendous advantage Of having
before their eyes the living example Of the
events in Europe of being able to judge by re-
suits the true meaning Of policies which they
are asked to follow here. That is the supreme
Importance of every worker in America studying
and thoroughly understanding the experiences
of our brothers across the waters.
What are the ideas the misconceptions, with
which the social-fascists confuse and disarm
the workers?
First, is the idea that fascism is the opposite
of capitalist democracy, and this democracy is
therefore the means of combating and defeat
ing fascism. This false idea serves a double
purpose By means of counterposing "democ-
racy against dictatorship it tries to hide the
fact that the capitalist democracy" is only a
identify in the workers mind the fascist die
tatorship with the proletarian dictatorship in
the Soviet Union, and thus cause the worker
to reject the road of revolution At the same
time, this slogan is used to hide the fact that
capitalist democracy is not the enemy but the
mother Of fascisrn; that it is not the destroyer
but the creator of fascism. It uses the truth
that fascism destroys democracy to propagate
the falsehood that democracy will also destroy
fascism. Thus does the Socialist Party and
trade union oficialdom to the extent that the
workers follow them, tie the working class to
the chariot wheels of a capitalist democracy
which is being transformed into fascism para
lyze their resistance, deliver them over to fas-
cism bound and helpless
In Germany this meant support to linden
burg, Bruening, Won Papen, SchIeicher; and
their emergency decrees' directed against the
workers. In the United States it is support to
Roosevelt, LaGuardia, the MIRA and the
emergency DEGREES" of the strikebreakng labor
boards, arbitration boards, code authorities -
etc. In each case, the slogan is choose the
lesser evil'; in each, the workers are asked to
fight against fascism" by supporting the men
and measures that are introducing fascism.
Second, is the idea that fascism represents
not finance capital, but rather revolutionary
movement" directed against both finance CAPT.
tai and against the working class by the i'm
poyerished middle classes. This idea helps
finance capital to get and keep control over
these middle classes, strengthens their illusions
divides the workers from them and prevents the
workers from setting themselves the task of
winning over the middle classes to support of
the proletarian revolution, causes the workers
to support their misleaders in their alliance
against fascsm." In Germany this idea was
concretely, alliance with Hindenburg against
Hitler; in Austria, with Dollfuss against the
Nazis; in the United States with Roosevelt
against Wall Street"
Third with the victory of fascism in Ger
many and Austria, the Socialist and trade unior