Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

NATIONALISM
Civil War, whose results represent the real foundations of true Americanism." 70 Such
articles drew parallels between the American Revolution, the Civil War and the situation
in Spain. The YCL argued it was treasonous to American traditions to abandon Spain to
fascist aggression. An article in February, 1937 stated, "Now, when the Spanish people
demand no more than that which we demanded in 1776 and 1861, it is disloyalty to the
great American tradition to refuse their appeal." 71 By highlighting the legacies of traditional
American heroes, the YCL insinuated that there was nothing foreign about revolutionary
movements in the US and therefore the YCL clearly represented "true
Americanism."
YCL rhetoric highlighted the careers of other American revolutionaries and founding
fathers of the United States. A 1938 editorial was very blunt about the goal of such
techniques insisting, "The traditions of our people must be a part of our very bones. We
must know Jefferson, Lincoln, and all the heroes of our history, almost as well as we
know our grandfathers." 72 The new constitution adopted by the YCL in 1939 boldly
asserted this American outlook stating, "The Young Communist League… cherishes the
ideals of Americanism embodied in the democratic traditions of our nation and its great
patriots, such as Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Andrew Jackson, Frederick Douglass,
and Abraham Lincoln." 73 Instead of portraying themselves as foreign Bolsheviks, the
Popular Front Generation insisted that they were guided politically by the principles of
Americanism.
Though the American YCL kept up much of its traditional working-class outlook, they
used similar rhetorical devices as the YCLGB in embracing a broad language centred on
"the people." In an article condemning the influence of Trotskyism, the YCL stated,
"[Those who go] against the Peoples Front, goes against the youth and against the whole
people and are allies of the enemy." 74 The YCL insisted the goal of their movement was
to spur "the people" into political action since "the enemies of the people are strong,
unscrupulous, well organized, and well financed. Only an aroused people will be able to
defeat them." 75 Associational rhetoric was also used to demonize political enemies with
assertions such as, "Let us in our work show the same great love for the people and the
same fierce hatred toward the enemies of the people, the fascists." 76 The YCL framed
statements about "the people" to highlight their common values with statements like,
"The cause of the people, however, the cause of peace and democracy and ultimately
Socialism, is rooted in human decency, brotherhood, and struggle." 77 The logic of such
statements insinuated that those who did not stand with the YCL in turn did not stand
with "the people" of the nation, and were therefore ultimately lacking human decency and
were out of sync with "true" American traditions.
Broad rhetoric embracing "the people" was also used in the YCL interpretation of
American history. In an editorial about the 4 th of July the YCL decreed, "It is high time
the people took this holiday back to themselves; it is high time that the Fourth of July
become a day of re-dedication to the ideals which animated the American Founding
71