Release the New Republic Archives!
Posted by Lew Rockwell at 08:16 PM
Make that the Fascist Republic archives. From Murray N. Rothbard, World War I as Fulfillment: Power and the Intellectuals:
In January 1927, Croly wrote a New Republic editorial, "An Apology for Fascism," endorsing an accompanying article, "Fascism for the Italians," written by the distinguished philosopher Horace M. Kallen, a disciple of John Dewey and an exponent of progressive pragmatism. Kallen praised Mussolini for his pragmatic approach, and in particular for the élan vital that Mussolini had infused into Italian life. True, Professor Kallen conceded, fascism is coercive, but surely this is only a temporary expedient. Noting fascism's excellent achievement in economics, education, and administrative reform, Kallen added that "in this respect the Fascist revolution is not unlike the Communist revolution. Each is the application by force …of an ideology to a condition. Each should have the freest opportunity once it has made a start…." The accompanying New Republic editorial endorsed Kallen's thesis and added that "alien critics should beware of outlawing a political experiment which aroused in a whole nation an increased moral energy and dignified its activities by subordinating them to a deeply felt common purpose." New Republic 49 (January 12, 1927), pp. 207–213. Cited in John Patrick Diggins, "Mussolini's Italy: The View from America," PhD diss., University of Southern California, 1964, pp. 214–217.