Description

From this basis Scott Nearing begins his scathing analysis of how the business class, represented by J.P. Morgan and company, gained control of the inner workings of the United States government and were thus able to meld nationalist patriotism into a military preparedness which finally leads to an open declaration of war.

Nearing methodically unravels the toils of plutocratic self-interest and as Tom Wirth observes: “Nearing’s consistent reaffirmation of purpose—connecting American business to the perpetuation of war and the disenfranchisement of the American worker—gave his discourse an uplifting quality, a ‘progressive’ tone which suggested the unlimited potential of the human being.” Due to the outspokenness of his pamphlet, Nearing was trailed by the Federal government on charges of attempting to cause disloyalty and mutiny in the military forces during war time.

This fully annotated text by Greg Joly will give the reader a sharper sense of this era and Nearing’s principled anti-war stance. Tom Wirth’s concluding essay will further enlighten the reader it Nearing historical importance. As Nearing said at his trial: “The destruction of life and property is incidental. The destructive forces that that puts into a man’s soul are fundamental.”