306 politics thecalculator)inthepastyear;thepriceindexrose8points fromJunetoAugust15,andsincethentojudgefrommy ownpersonalshoppingexperience—hasgoneupevenfaster. TherewasthusnobasisinequityfortheWSB'sfirmstand. Therewasevenlessbasisinpracticalpolitics.Whenunions andemployersgoonstriketogetheragainst"bureaucracy," andwhenthestrikegetscompletesupportfromallthework- ersintheindustry,thenonemighthavethoughteventhe TrumanAdministrationwouldhaveseenthattheseamen couldnotbedeniedtheirraise.Becausethisadministrationis composedofprovincialmediocritieswithoutideasorprinciples, itisoftenassumedtheymustbe"practicalpoliticians."But itisquitepossibletohavenoideasandalsotobeextremely impractical,astheWalacespeechepisodeshowed.The handlingoftheseamen'sstrikewasanearlierillustration. Proddedbythestrike,theWSBreviewedthecase.Onthe sixthdayofnationwideparalysisofshipping,theboard. . . reaffirmeditsoriginalruling."WilardW.Wirtz,chairmanof theboardand34-year-oldformerlawteacheratNorthwestern University,calmlytoldreporters:'Nofurtheractioniscontemplatedbythisboard;thereisnoappealfromthisdeci- sion.'"The"calmly"ismagnificent;KingCanutecouldnot havedonebeter.Wirtz'sstandisinthetraditionofGaryand Girdler—anditisnotablethattheGarysoftodayareyoung lawprofessorsingovernmentjobs.However,evenTruman couldseethatcalmwasnotquiteenough.Thefolowingday, inoneofthoselightningreversalsforwhichhisadministration isbecomingnotorious,hisbrain-truster,Steelman,theStabilizationDirector(withoutconsulting,oreveninforming, ChairmanWirtz)overruledtheWSBandgrantedtheseamen theirraise. Three-Cornered WhenTrumanpersonalyintervened Struggle t o breaktherailroadstrikelast Spring,Marxistsconcluded,nodoubt withasighofrelief,thatwewerebackonfamiliarground. AftertheconfusingNewDealandwartimeinterludes,the Governmentwascomingoutinitstruecolorsas"theexecutivecommiteeofthebourgeoisie."AndwhenTrumanwent ontodemandlegislationpermitingthePresidenttodraft strikersintothearmedforcesandjailthemiftheyrefusedto returntowork,theMarxists'suspicionsbecamecertainty.(It doesnottakemuchtobringcertaintytoaMarxist.)The bourgeoisie,however,reactedtothisproposaloftheirexecutive commiteemostpeculiarly.SenatorTaftatoncemobilizedhis Republicancoleaguesinasuccessfulfightagainstthestrikerdraftbill;theAFLandCIOwerejoinedinoppositionbythe NationalAssociationofManufacturers;eventherailroadmanagementsturnedagainstTruman.Inaword,theissuewasnot classstrugglebutratherStatism,andonthatissuecapital andlabormadecommoncause. Thesamethinghappenedseveraltimesduringthewar. When,forexample,RooseveltinJune,1943,askedforan amendmenttotheSelectiveServiceActto"enableustoinductintomilitaryserviceallpersonswhoengageinstrikes. . . inplantsinthepossessionoftheU.S.",theproposalwas denouncedbybothTheDailyWorkerandTheWalStreet Journal, whileHenryWalace and PresidentMosherofthe NAMmaderemarksabout"fascism."Inthefirstissueofthis magazine(February,1944),aproposanotherunsuccessful RooseveltmovetowardsStatismthistimehisproposalfor conscriptionofalllaborduringthewar—Inotedthatitwas not"justaquestionofweakeningtheunions.Itissignificant thatboththeU.S.ChamberofCommerceandtheNAMare opposedtoanationallabordraft.Businessevidentlyfearsthe strengtheningofStatecontrolevenmorethanitwelcomesa blowatunionism." BibliotecaGinoBianco TheFederalGovernmentunderTruman,asunderRoose- veltand,Iventuretopredict,underfuturepresidents,plays amorecomplexrolethan"executivecommitteeofthebour- geoisie."It istoanincreasingextentanindependentforce, sometimesmediatingbetweencapitalandlabor,sometimes throwingitsweightbehindoneortheotherasitsownadvantageseemstoindicate,andalwaysatemptingtoextend thesphereofitsauthority.ThusTrumanlastspring(after hisearlierpressureontheautoandsteelindustryonbehalfof thestrikers)broketherailroadstrikeandmadeelaboratepreparationstocallouttheNavyandtheCoastGuardtobreak theCIOmaritimestrikeif ithadmaterialized.Twomonths later,notawordisheardaboutusingtheNavytobreakthe AFLmaritimestrike,andtheGovernmentcapitulatescompletelyafteraweek.Theseshiftsinpolicycomefromthedif- ferencesinspecificsituations,andwhenconsideredinconjunctionwiththeGovernment'spersistenteffortstogetmore controloverbothunionsandindustryindicateathree-corneredconflictbetweencapital,laborandGovernmentrather thanthetwo-partyclassstruggle. TheF. D. R. When thenewArgentineambassador of thePampas inWashingtonrecentlydescribedPresidentPeron,as"strugglingforthe samedemocraticprincipleswhichwerefoundonthebanner ofPresidentRoosevelt,"manyanhonestliblabwasshocked. WasnotPeronaruthlessdictator,pro-Naziduringthewar, andthebossofamilitarycliquewhichhasextinguishedAr- gentiniandemocracy?Didnot TheNation excommunicate himinaspecialsupplementthisspring?Howcomethis blasYpehtetmhey?ambassadorwastelingthetruth,asmuchasany diplomatdoes.As Ihavenoted,theoldleft-rightcategories don'tsemtoworkverywel;and,asIalsonotedseveralyears agoaproposthecurious"Bolivianpattern,"theyareespecialy fuzzyinLatinAmerica,wherefascist-mindedmilitarymen havebeenleadingtheworkersinnationalistrevoltagainst Yanqui imperialism.Peronisnotaliberal(anditisdoubtful ifFDRwas,either)butheiscertainlyaProgressive.Hisfol- lowerscallthemselvesthe descamisados (shirtlessones),which isreasonablycloseto sansculottes. WhenhewaselectedPres- identlastwinterinascrupulouslyhonestelectionbythebiggestmajorityinArgentinehistory,itwastheworkersand poorfarmerswhobackedhim,andthebusinessmenandrich landlordswhobackedhis"liberal"opponent.Althoughthe CommunistsandSocialistshadelecteddeputiesbefore,inthat electiontheyfailedtoelectasingleone;themasseswereall forPeron.LikeRoosevelt,hehasawifewhotravelsaround makingpoliticalspeeches,receivestradeuniondelegations beforebreakfast,tirelesslyagitatesforsocialreform,andisan ardentfeministwhomaysoonbecomeLatinAmerica'sfirst SecretaryofLabor.LikeRoosevelt,heisgoinginforalittle quietriggingoftheSupremeCourt,fourofwhosejusticesare currentlybeingimpeachedbyhismajorityintheChamberof Deputies.Sincehiselection,dictatorPeronhasparodiedRoose- velt—or,morefrequently,gonefarbeyondhiminmany otherways.Specificaly,hehas: —reducedpricesonsuchworkingclassstaplesasbread, sugar,spaghetiandcookingoil. kickedouttheheadsoftheSociedadRural(stronghold ofthelandedaristocracy)andtheIndustrialUnion(dittoof bigbusiness)andputinhisownmen. —donethesamewiththeStockExchange.(Hereferspub- liclyto"thosefivehundredbumsintheStockExchange.") nationalizedtheCentralBankofArgentina,solemnlyob- serving: "Countriesofrecognizedliberaltraditionhave commencedtoadoptnationalizationandunderstandthatitisnec-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTExMDY2NQ==