philip_k_dick_-_the_man_in_the_high_castle

and rigid he gets — Churchill, I mean. Until by 1960, he's like some old warlord out of Central
Asia; nobody can cross him. He's been in power twenty years.'
'Good God,' she said, leafing through the last part of the book, searching for verification of what
Joe was saying.
'On that I agree,' Joe said. 'Churchill was the one good leader the British had during the war; if
they'd retained him they'd have been better off. I tell you; a state is no better than its leader.
Fuhrerprinzip — Principle of Leadership, like the Nazis say. They're right. Even this Abendsen has
to face that. Sure, the U.S.A. expands- economically after winning the war over Japan, because it's
got that huge market in Asia that it's wrested from the Japs. But that's not enough; that's got no
spirituality. Not that the British have. They're both plutocracies, rule by the rich. If they had won,
all they'd have thought about was making more money, that upper class. Abendsen, he's wrong;
there would be no social reform, no welfare public works plans — the Anglo-Saxon plutocrats
wouldn't have permitted it.'
Juliana thought, Spoken like a devout Fascist.
Evidently Joe perceived by her expression what she was thinking; he turned toward her, slowing
the car, one eye on her, one on the cars ahead. 'Listen, I'm not an intellectual — Fascism has no
need of that. What is wanted is the deed. Theory derives from action. What our corporate state
demands from us is comprehension of the social forces-of history. You see? I tell you; I know,
Juliana.' His tone was earnest, almost beseeching. 'Those old rotten money-run empires, Britain and
France and U.S.A., although the latter actually a sort of bastard sideshoot, not strictly empire, but
money-oriented even so. They had no soul, so naturally no future. No growth. Nazis a bunch of
street thugs; I agree. You agree? Right?'
She had to smile; his Italian mannerisms had overpowered him in his attempt to drive and make
his speech simultaneously.
'Abendsen talks like it's big issue as to whether U.S. or Britain ultimately wins out. Bull! Has no
merit, no history to it. Six of one, dozen of other. You ever read what the Duce wrote? Inspired.
Beautiful man. Beautiful writing. Explains the underlying actuality of every event. Real issue in
war was: old versus new. Money — that's why Nazis dragged Jewish question mistakenly into it —
versus communal mass spirit, what Nazis call Gemeinschaft — folkness. Like Soviet. Commune.
Right? Only, Communists sneaked in Pan-Slavic Peter the Great empire ambitions along with it,
made social reform means for imperial ambitions.'
Juliana thought, Like Mussolini did. Exactly.
'Nazi thuggery a tragedy,' Joe stuttered away as he passed a slow-moving truck. 'But change's
always harsh on the loser. Nothing new. Look at previous revolutions such as French. Or Cromwell
against Irish. Too much philosophy in Germanic temperament; too much theater, too. All those
rallies. You never find true Fascist talking, only doing — like me. Right?'
Laughing, she said, 'God, you've been talking a mile a minute.'
He shouted excitedly, 'I'm explaining Fascist theory of action!'
She couldn't answer; it was too funny.
But the man beside her did not think it was funny; he glowered at her, his face red. Veins in his
forehead became distended and he began once more to shake. And again he passed his fingers
clutchingly along his scalp, forward and back, not speaking, only staring at her.
'Don't get sore at me,' she said.
For a moment she thought he was going to hit her; he drew his arm back . . . but then he grunted,
reached and turned up the car radio.