Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

DEMOCRACY
Popular Front strategies urged communists to reinvigorate this campaign, arguing that
there existed a "tendency towards mass breakaways from the two traditional parties of
American capitalism." 139 Dimitrov supported this move, insisting that American workers
needed to "dissociate themselves from the capitalist parties without delay." 140 Eventually
during the Popular Front era, the YCL shifted its electoral support to the Democratic
Party.
The 1936 presidential election was the pivotal moment in transforming communist
election strategies. Quite shockingly, communists shifted their strategy from third party
tactics into supporting the Democratic Party after November. During the 1936 election,
Earl Browder asserted the "reactionary block" could not be "defeated by the Democratic
Party and Roosevelt" because they had "surrendered all strategic points to reaction." 141
Though critical of Roosevelt, American communists openly stated that the Republican
Party's "Landon-Hearst-Wall Street ticket is the chief enemy of the liberties, peace, and
prosperity of the American people," representing the American "road to fascism and
war." 142 After the 1936 election, the communists conceded "the campaign and the reelection
of Roosevelt serve also to prepare and strengthen the forces of… the People's
Front." 143
Reflecting on the dynamics of 1936, Earl Browder forged a new strategy for American
communists termed the "Democratic Front," making the New Deal an integral element of
their democratic rhetoric. 144 Although critical of its limited nature, the YCL argued that
"we support the progressive features of the New Deal and work to extend them, because
there is a vast difference between a Roosevelt New Deal and a Hoover program." 145 The
YCL asserted that the defense of the New Deal was vital to defending democracy. An
YCL editorial stated, "If the reactionaries in American life get their chance to smash the
social legislation and the progressive achievements of the Roosevelt administration, then
the road to native American fascism… will have been made that much easier." 146 American
fascism would not portray itself as a foreign-born movement. Fascism would cloak
itself under the "guise of a defense of the traditional rights of the American citizens"
while in practice working "to undermine American liberty and destroy the American
ideal." 147
YCL activism and rhetoric reveals how communist youth became interested in actively
participating in American politics. The YCL began supporting the New Deal and
the Democratic Party in their electoral campaign literature. The YCL contended that
their electoral work was vital to preserving American democracy:
The elections are over. But the issue facing the American people during the last election
campaign, is still before the nation. Fascism or democracy – progress or reaction – that
was the alternative we faced before and on November 3.... All the discredited forces who
were defeated in the last election have gained a new lease on life. They hope to nullify
the results of the election.... Even though Roosevelt's proposal does not go far enough, it
must be supported. The enemies of the proposal are the same gentlemen who received
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