Did you know a fascist coup was planned to overthrow the United States government in 1933? The American capitalists who formed this conspiracy called on Gen. Smedley Butler to lead the coup, however, Butler defected from the conspiracy and exposed it. Butler later became an anti-fascist, anti-war, and anti-capitalist activist after he wised up to his role in the imperialist wars he fought in during his careers in the Marines.

In this session of The Decline of Neoliberalism and the Rise of American Fascism, we’ll be discussing podcasts about imperialism and the The Business Plot, plus Butler’s pamphlet War is a Racket.

What is the connection between imperialism, fascism, and finance capital? Under what conditions could another business plot develop in the US? Please join us as we discuss the assigned material and attempt to answer these questions.

A collaborative doc with the text and Zoom connection information will be provided. Please RSVP for access.

The discussion group is open to all, including DSA members outside of the San Fernando Valley and non-DSA members.