Goebbels on America

America’s alleged materialistic civilization was bound to give birth to new enemies around the globe. The American religion of money, as a form of spiritual salvation, became the main target of its critics—Goebbels notwithstanding. It was America’s excessive idea of progress and its overemphasis on material well being that most European right-wing critics found appalling. Goebbels acknowledges America only as high-tech civilization, when he writes: “As much as we safeguard the achievements of modern civilization and wish to make it ours in the embellishment of our life, equally much are we convinced that it cannot be seen as the meaning of Being.” Probably, if one were to drop the name of Goebbels and leave out other pro-fascist authors with similar anti-American views, similar views about America and Americanism would have a safe passage in contemporary academia and would likely capture the attention of a postmodern reader. However, if an author is a priori designed  as a “fascist monster” or as a “supreme Nazi devil,” as Goebbels has been, then such observations about America are likely to fall on deaf ears. Therefore, one is allowed to resort to critical observations about America only when quoting authors who abide by the canons of liberal and socialist dogma.

Tomislav Sunic
Homo Americanus: Child of the Postmodern Age