The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-01-13
o. 1.-Fascism and the Maturing of the
Revolutionary Crisis

u Fascism is the open, terrorist
dictatorship of the most reactionary,
most chauviniSt and most imperialst
elements of finance capital. Fascism
tries to secure mass basis for mono
polist capital among the petty-bour-
geoisie, appealing to the peasantry,
artisans, Office employees and civil
servants who have been thrown out
Of their normal course of life, and
particularly to the DECEASED elements
in the big cities also trying to pene-
trats into the working class.
The growth Of fascism and its COM
ing into power in Germany and in
a number Of other capitalist coun-
tries means:
(a) That the revolutionary crisis
and the indignation OF the broad
masses against the rule Of capital is
growing.
(b) That the capitalists are no
longer able to maintain their dicta-
torship by the old methods Of par
liamentarisIn and Of bourgeois dem
ocracy in general
(c) That, moreover, the methods
Of parliamentarism and bourgeois
democracy in general are becoming
a hindrance to the capitalists both
in their internal politics (the strug-
gle against the proletariat) as well
as in their foreign politics (war for
the imperialist redistribution OF the
world.
Cd That, IN view Of this, capital
Is compelled to pass to open ter
rorist dictatorship within the coun-
try and to unrestrained chauvinism
in foreign politics, which represents
direct preparation for imperialist
wars.
Fascfna Born In the Womb o.
Bourgeois Democracy
Born in the womb Of bourgeois
democracy, fascism in the eyes of the
capitalists is means Of saving CAPT
taIism from collapse. 1t is only for
the purpose OF deceiving and disarrn-
ing the workers that social democracy
denies the fascination of bourgeois
democracy and makes a contrast in
the democratic countries and the
countries Of the fascist dictatorship
in principle. On the other hand, the
fascist dictatorship is not an inevi-
table stage Of the dictatorship Of the
bolrgeoisie in all countries. The pos
sibility of averting it depends upon
the forces Of the fighting proletariat,
which are paralyzed by the corrupt
ing influence Of social democracy
more than by anything else.
q While the general line Of all
bourgeois parties, including social
democracy, is towards the fascination
Of the dictatorship Of the boTgeoisie,
the realization of this line inevitably
gives rise to disagreement among
them as to forms and methods Of
fascination. Certain bourgeois groups,
particularly the social-fascists, who
in practice stick at nothing in their
acts Of police violence against the
proletariat, urge the maintenance Of
parliamentary forms when carrying
through the fascination Of the bour-
geois dictatorship The fascists,
however, insist on the full or partial
abolition of these old, shaken forms
OF bourgeois democracy, on carrying
through fascination by means of the
establishment of an open fascist die
tatorship and by wide application
Of both police violence and the ter
rorism of fascist gangs. Having come
to power, fascism pushes aside, splits
and disintegrates the other bourgeois
parties (for instance, Poland, or dis
solves them Germany and italy,.
This striving of fascism for political
monopoly intensifies the discord and
conflicts in the ranks Of the ruling
classes which follow from the inter
nal contradictions in the position Of
the bourgeoisie who are becoming
fascized.
Social Democracy Main Prop Of
Bourgeoise
81 The establishment of the fascist
dictatorship in Germany has I'M
masked German Social Democracy
before the whole world. From the
bloody crushing Of the proletarian
revolution in 1918, through an I'M
interrupted chain of treachery and
Strike breaking. through all the coal
ition governments, the savage police
massacres of revolutionary workers,
voting for Hindenburg as the lesser
evil" to servile endeayors to cooper
ate openly with the fascist gangs
such is the record of German social
democracy, the leading party in the
Second International.
German ocial-democracy was and
still remains, The banner-bearer OF
all the parties of the Second Inter
national which follow the steps of
German social-democracy.