2 5 0 a e © p v A p ril 1945 "Why Am I Fighting?"...................... 97 POPULAR CULTURE "M ax W eber's Politics", a rejoinder, by Field Notes, by Dwight Macdonald 112 H. H. Gerth .................................. | 19 Comment ............. 102 Detroit Letter: the Briggs Strike, by Greece (3) ..................................... 120 Ours to Reason Why, by Francy Frank Marquart ............................ 105 Calhoun ..................................... I 16 For a "Third Cam p" Position on Greece, The Danger W as Within (2): Kronstadt, a communication from Samson Horn.... 123 by Victor Serge ......................... 107 BOOKS THE INTELLIG EN CE OFFIC E ............... 125 Notes for a Political Dictionary, by Brecht's Morality Play: the Seven-teen Niccolo Tucci ............................... 112 Deadly Scenes, by Dachine Rainer.. 117 CONTRIBUTORS ............................. 123 “Why Am I Fighting? Editor s Note: It is a cardinal principle of “Politics” HEADQUARTERS editorial policy to give both sides a fair hearing In the matter of the war, however, the Editor has found himself MEDITERRANEAN BASE SECTION in an odd difficulty. Although many people, most people OFFICE OF THE COMMANDING GENERAL indeed, will endorse the present conflict in conversation, and will be most articulate on the subject and most in­ dignant with “negativistic” criticism, they show a strange reluctance to put their views down in cold print. Those IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE DIRECTION FROM THE who are in opposition to the present conflict, on the other CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE ARMY—THAT ALL MILI­ hand, are not at all shy about appearing in print. The TARY PERSONNEL SHALL BE THOROUGHLY IN­ result has been that the casual reader of “Politics” might DOCTRINATED WITH THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS very well come to the conclusion that there is little if any­ OF THE PRESENT WORLD WAR—THIS CHRONOL­ thing to be said in favor of the war, from the standpoint OGY WAS FIRST PREPARED BY CENTRAL DISTRICT, of human progress. MEDITERRANEAN BASE SECTION. IT IS NOW This, of course, would be a most unfortunate deduction, PRINTED BY THIS HEADQUARTERS AS REQUIRED besides being deplorably negativistic. It is, therefore, with READING FOR ALL PERSONNEL OF THE M.B.S. AND great satisfaction that we are able to present to our readers AS A SUPPLEMENT TO ASSIST THE ORIENTATION the remarkable document printed below, which puts in COURSE IN CLARIFYING JUST « WHAT THIS WAR the most forceful and indeed uninhibited way the argu­ IS ALL ABOUT.» ments in favor of the present armed crusade against, in the author s memorable phrase, “a GANG OF UN­ ARTHUR R. WILSON MITIGATED CROOKS AND INFIDELS” The hyper­ Brigadier General, U. S. A. critical may deduce, from internal evidence, that the Commanding. document is the creation of a superannuated Hearst edi­ torial writer suffering from delirium tremens. They may even find it a strange mixture of the pathological and the WHY AM I FIGHTING? corny. We would remind such irresponsible critics that the pamphlet is an official U. S. Army publication issued last I. FOREWORD year under the direct authority of Brigadier-General Arthur A. Wilson, U. S. A., to all troops of the Mediterranean Hundreds of thousands of us—yes, millions—have left Base Section. Its validity, furthermore, is unquestionable: our home circles . our mothers and fathers, our wives, we have a photo static copy of the entire pamphlet in our sweethearts and friends. We have also given up our jobs, possession. It is thus clearly impossible that the document stepped OUT of civilian clothes and INTO one uniform should have the moral and stylistic qualities which it so or another of the American armed forces. The vast ma­ clearly has. jority of us has done this willingly, without bellyaching, 98 politics without even asking the question which, perhaps, has been JUSTICE, it is hoped that everyone of us now in the serv­ uppermost in all our minds . the question: WHY AM ices will be a little MADDER and, therefore, fight a little I FIGHTING? The vast majority has acted in this un­ HARDER so that we may return home a little SOONER selfish, unquestioning way because, as TRUE AMERICANS, . home to AMERICA, the ONLY major nation in the they have implicit FAITH in the sincerity of purpose be­ world that will not have suffered the diseased and humili­ hind their Country’s CALL TO ARMS. ating imprint of the AXIS HEEL ! A very small minority has entered the services begrudg­ WHY? ingly and, either because of a natural lack of understanding BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE DESTROYED THE TIDAL- (which is forgiveable) or a refusal to SEEK understanding WAVE OF AXIS POISON BEFORE (NOT AFTER !) IT (which is tragic), has remained an unhappy group of men. REACHED OUR SHORES ! The serious fact exists, however, that all of us now in uniform are, directly or indirectly, taking part in the most far-flung and desperate scrap the world has ever known. II. HIGHLIGHTS Being in it, then, it is not sensible to suppose that any NORMAL individual among us wishes, by choice, to be on A. ADOLPH HITLER: the LOSING SIDE. AMERICA is keenly aware of the sacrifices—individual 1933: HITLER BECOMES CHANCELLOR OF THE and collective—that a war such as this demands of its GERMAN STATE. armed forces. For this reason AMERICA believes that He shouts: « I WILL MAKE GERMANY THE DOMIN­ each and every man now in uniform deserves a CLEAR ANT STATE IN THE WORLD ! » But the world laughs, picture of just WHY he was asked to make these sacrifices; calls him a <<cCLOWN ». deserves a SIMPLER ANSWER to that confusing, and 1934: Hitler tries, unsuccessfully, to GRAB Austria, often disturbing question: WHY AM I FIGHTING? an INDEPENDENT STATE. He fails because MUSSO­ No attempt to philosophize (that is, to give fancy theories LINI, not YET in his employ, supports the cause of Aus­ of why nations have fought throughout the ages) will be trian independence. made. It is of little interest to us TODAY what caused 1935: Hitler openly announces that he is building other peoples, in other countries, to kill one another in SUBMARINES; that Germany has reestablished MILI­ the PAST. But it should be of considerable interest to TARY CONSCRIPTION; that the CIVIL air fleet has been us to try and figure out just why WE’RE fighting NOW; transferred to MILITARY CONTROL; that, a year earlier, just why WE’VE left our homes, jobs and (in hundreds of he had established the Nazi MOTOR CORPS. All these thousands of cases) the happy security of AMERICAN « acts » are in DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE TERMS shores to fight « A BUNCH OF FOREIGNERS ». If we OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES. Yet the world says can grasp an UNDERSTANDING of the causes which have nothing and stupidly believes Hitler when he yells: « THE driven us into this universal brawl it should help us, NAZIS NEED A PROLONGED PERIOD OF PEACE TO SPIRITUALLY and MENTALLY, toward a far speedier CARRY THROUGH DOMESTIC REFORMS. PEACE IS and more COMPLETE VICTORY. ALL WE SEEK ! » Anyone of us will admit that if he actually SEES another 1936: THIS IS A GREAT YEAR FOR THE man strike his mother, best girl, wife or defenseless friend, FUHRER ! his PUNCH—in retaliation—will have much more STEAM behind it than if his knowledge of the assault be based a. He denounces (TEARS UP !) The Locarno Treaty solely upon vague suspicion. A man’s EYE tells him what of 1925 . a treaty which GUARANTEES the Eastern he SEES; then, mentally and physically, he acts according Frontiers of FRANCE and BELGIUM. to his temperament. A man’s UNDERSTANDING is the b. He brings GERMANY, ITALY and JAPAN together EYE of his SPIRIT. Without UNDERSTANDING the in the ANTI-COMINTERN (ANTI-SOVIET) PACT. In­ SPIRIT lags behind, and the man becomes half-hearted . spired by the Fuhrer’s shouting, all three nations VOW TO often useless. Today, as never before, we need UNDER­ SPIT on the ideas of Soviet Russia. STANDING and its « team-mate », SPIRIT. Therefore, by way of providing us with more of an (Editor s Note: We regret that lack of space compels us to UNDERSTANDING as to WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT, the omit eight pages at this point.) Government of our Country has collected together the fol­ lowing series of events—events based on FACT (NOT PROPAGANDA!)—which forced us, AS A NATION DE­ TERMINED TO PRESERVE THE IDEALS OF ITS HERITAGE, to enter this terrible conflict. politics If every man of us can just SEE more clearly WHY VOL. 2, NO. 4 (Whole No. 15) APRIL, 1945 Editor: Dwight Macdonald we’re fighting, we will be better equipped to polish-off our Business Manager: Nancy Macdonald enemies and return to our HOMES and JOBS feeling that Circulation Manager: Dorothy Brumm we have not made these sacrifices for NOTHING. POLITICS is published monthly at 45 Astor Place, New HITLER ! HIROHITO ! MUSSOLINI ! These are the York 3, N. Y., by Politics Publishing Co. 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