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Against Isolationism
- University of Wisconsin Press
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bones about it. The earlier pretense of Wghting for “liberty” has been dropped, and the opposition to any form of democratic government is now candidly and even proudly proclaimed. The early sham about warring to restore the rights of the Spanish people was always a little thing. It was pretty hard to put that over in the face of the fact that a very large proportion of the “liberator’s” forces were made up of Moorish mercenaries, together with the troops of Hitler and Mussolini. “Our new state is to be a totalitarian instrument at the service of national integrity,” he said. And he explained, “We have abolished implacably the old parliamentary system of multiple political parties.” It is true that when he was asked whether he intended to establish a dictatorship, he replied, “Absolutely not.” But whatever distinction lies in Franco’s mind can be explained by the seventh son of the seventh son of a hair splitter. And the di¤erentiation becomes even more diªcult since the general also stated that the regime he has in mind “will be similar to the regimes of Italy and Spain.” “Spain,” he declared, “has not foolish dreams.” But in spite of the little Caesar’s cynicism the cables still indicate that there are Spaniards who dream of democracy and liberty and resent the e¤ort which is being made to transform their land into a Fascist province of the Duce and the Führer. And that dream has animated the oppressed of the earth from the beginning of time. By what right, then, does any American refer to the valiants who Wght for freedom as Reds and anarchists? If it is anarchical to struggle against alien mercenaries, then George Washington was quite a prominent Red when he fought the Hessians. Of course, it is not the business of the United States to intervene, but we dishonor ourselves and our own tradition as well as the cause of liberty if, as individuals, we refuse to realize the spiritual bond between ourselves and the people of Spain who stand against the tyrant and echo the grand old cry of “Give me liberty or give me death!” And if this be anarchy, make the most of it! —Heywood Broun, journalist and columnist, founded the Newspaper Guild. Against Isolationism William T. Evjue september 30, 1939 This column is written by one who experienced the intolerance, the hatred, and the persecution of the World War. This writer was burned in eªgy on the university campus. I have always fought the ugly institution of war, and we have loathed war as a means of settling disputes between nations and people. 302 part 15 upholding human rights But much as I loathe war and all its horrors, I seem to feel di¤erently about this war than I did concerning the World War of 1917. It was not diªcult to justify one’s opposition to the World War. It was evident that the struggle, started in 1914, was simply an imperialistic war in which the various nations engaged were seeking more power, colonies, and resources. The slogan of the last war that this was a battle “to save the world for democracy” was a fake and a delusion. But now I feel that there are real issues at stake in this war—that liberty and human freedom, heritages that are precious to Americans, that even civilization itself are at stake in the outcome of this conXict, and that the world may be returned to barbarism and slavery if the mad forces now loose in the world are not stopped and exterminated. And then I begin to ask myself: How can a person who has been raised on concepts of liberty, freedom, and human dignity be indi¤erent and neutral when the rights of free peoples are being challenged by forces that are seeking to smash democracy and all it stands for?” I start from the premise that Adolph Hitler is the greatest menace to free institutions and human freedom in the world today. He has expressed his contempt for democracy time and time again, and he is now engaged in a worldwide attempt to smash democracy and substitute the totalitarian concept of government under which human liberty and freedom are suppressed. Hitler is drunk with power and he continues from one aggression to another. All of Europe lives in dread of this monster Machiavelli, and small nations live in consternation because of the fear that...