American Eugenics and the Nazi Regime

By Thais

To understand how the Nazi regime grew to power in the 1930's, it is important to observe that which influenced the political and social thought of those in positions of power and influence. By far the most significant factors in the German rise to power included a fanatical push for population control, racial hygiene, the science of racism and the study of genetics, and a worldwide depression.

Today we hear very little of U.S. involvement on the side of the Nazi movement, though our role in the science of eugenics was drawn upon by German physicians, eugenicists, and propagandists to promote themselves and their ideas during the regime. Hitler accredited eugenics in America as the most important factor influencing his policies on racial and hereditary science. Mainstream history continually underemphasizes the Nazi connection of American eugenicists, instead claiming that only an unimportant and marginal wing of the eugenics movement reacted positively to such measures of mass sterilization, special support for "hereditarily valuable" couples, prohibition of miscegenation (marriage or sexual relations between those of different races), and euthanasia (voluntary or otherwise). The reality, however, is that the U.S. played an important role as a model of a country in which eugenic sterilization and immigration legislation (which was founded on biological principles) were at least to some degree successfully implemented.

The U.S. was widely acclaimed by Germans for their role in implementing such measures as the sterilization of those considered a threat to a clean hereditary line, or those who had a mental or physical disability, so as not to breed more of a "degenerate" race. Those affected included those hereditarily blind, deaf, mentally or physically handicapped, the psychiatrically ill, sexual "perverts", fathers who had more than two illegitimate children, and habitual criminals. The first law on sterilization in the United States was passed in 1907 in Indiana, which made mandatory the sterilization of the handicapped. From 1907 to early 1920, 3,233 people were sterilized. In the 1930's, the rate was about 4,000 sterilizations per year.

The U.S. Supreme Court sided with the eugenicists and the general public- in support of the aforementioned measures. At one point a bill in the house, which was under serious debate, would have eradicated the "lowest" 10% of the American population. In 1927 they passed a decision which ruled in favor of the constitutionality of compulsory sterilization. Said the Supreme Court, "It is better for all the world if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind."

Aside from governmental support of such measures, many influential powers in society also offered a helping hand, either by contributing financially, conducting studies on genetics, publishing books promoting scientific racism, etc. Prominent figures in support of eugenics and the Nazi rule included Leonard Darwin, Alexander Graham Bell, Charles B. Davenport, Herbert Hoover, Charles Eliot (President of Harvard University), David Starr Jordan (President of Stanford University), the Pioneer Fund, and the Rockefeller and Carnegie Foundations. In the 1980's, there seemed to be a resurgence in the studies of racial inferiority in the U.S. Roger Pearson, an anthropologist and promoter of the theory that "the white race has been endangered by inferior stock for more than 30 years", and well known for being authoritarian and neo-fascist, succeeded in combining his right wing politics with an academic career as a college professor and head of the Institute for the Study of Man in Virginia. In 1982, Ronald Reagan wrote him a letter commending his "valuable service" and voiced appreciation for his "substantial contributions to promoting and upholding those ideals and principles that we value at home and abroad."
Looks like eugenics isn't dead today either.

Propaganda seems to be the most important link between Nazi Germany and the United States. The propaganda served many purposes, such as quelling much of the opposition by promoting the notion that Nazi race policies were of scientific character and politically necessary, and by convincing the German people that Germany served as a model for other nations. Favorable statements by well known scientists from other countries gave the German people the impression that scientific communities abroad favored Nazi race policy and viewed it as compatible with scientific knowledge. Nazi's relied on the approval of foreign scientists to further their propaganda efforts outside of Germany. Statements by non-German scientists were more credible than were those of German scientists, who were often regarded as mere puppets of the new regime.

Unfortunately for Germany, foreign support was wavering. At the beginning outbreak of World War II, American eugenicists and geneticists prepared a resolution against Nazi race policy called the "Genetic Manifesto." It was prepared and supported primarily by scientists from the United States. It demanded effective birth control and the emancipation of women, stressed the importance of economic and political change, and condemned racism against ethnic minorities. In the late 1930's, American eugenicists became more interested in how eugenics measures in Sweden, which had developed a comprehensive program to support large hereditarily healthy families, could combine with a sterilization law; they were searching for a model that combined democracy with eugenics. International criticism focused on the possibility that this power could be abused if applied specifically to ethnic minorities or political enemies. The shift away from interest and support for Nazi Germany and its Law Preventing Hereditarily Ill Progeny was because of opposition to the totalitarian political regime, not because of the Nazi eugenics program.

Public criticism of blatantly anti-Semitic Nazi policies rose. Important figures in the genetics movement died or retired. Discoveries in genetics contradicted the scientific basis of scientific racism and eugenics. Germany retaliated by pointing to a hypocritical double standard in American society. They pointed to strict segregation between the whites and blacks and gave references to the lynching of blacks and the failure of an anti-lynching bill in the Senate. They also pointed out the law in 30 states preventing the marriage of blacks and whites. An article in the Nationalsozialistische Partei Korrespondenz stated, "the nigger would well be surprised that the white American becomes outraged at the elimination of Jews from German universities, while they do not consider the exclusion of Negroes from American universities." The final withdrawal of American support of Nazi policies came when the U.S. sided with the allies against Germany during World War II.

Today historians mask the truth of American involvement and influence in Nazi race policy and propaganda. The United States's history of scientific racism is unheard of in textbooks and as a general rule, goes unspoken of. It is important to realize that this movement is not gone in its entirety, but instead has been absorbed into particular institutions in society today. To escape it's bad name, "eugenics" is now found in many cases to be hidden behind such field names as "human geneticists," "population scientists," "psychiatrists," "anthropologists," "sociologists," "anthropologists," and "family politicians." Eugenicists attempted to separate themselves from the legacy of the Holocaust by eliminating ethnic racism from the official agenda of eugenic societies. Many scientists continue to engage in providing findings for genetic differences between races. Scientific racism, which is known to be almost entirely a strictly German phenomenon should also be recognized as an American one.

BOUGAINVILLE: Australia' s Secret Little Vietnam

By Dave Eden

* Bouganville is an Island 7km west of the Solomon Islands. After WWI it has governed by Australia, becoming part of Papua New Guinea (PNG) in 1975
* In 1969 CRA (an Australia subsidiary of Rio Tinto (UK) forcibly establishes a copper mine on Bouganville.
* Riot Police are used to fight women who are protesting the establishment of the mine. In traditional bouganvillian society women are the owners of land
* The construction of the mine destroys 220 hectares of rain forest.
* The mine leaves 800 people homeless and 1400 without fishing rights.
* After 20 years the mine had created a crater 1/2 km deep and 7km in circumference.
* It had created a billion tonnes of waste that were dumped into the Jaba River creating a wall of waste hundreds of metres high turned the river bright blue
* The mine accounted for 45% of all PNG export earnings
THE RESISTANCE
* In 1988 a handful of Islanders stole company explosives, and destroyed electricity pylons, buildings and machinery.
* These guerilla tactics closed the mine
* PNG , with Australian assistance send in the military.
* Bougnaville declares itself independent and establishes the Bouganville revolutionary Army (BRA) to defend the land and people.
WAR AND GENOCIDE
* Australia has been funding the PNG war against the Bouganvillian people. Australia provides $32 million dollars in military aid to the PNG.
* Over Half of the PNG Defence Force (PNGDF)was trained in Australia.
* Australian Military Advisers have been directing PNG operations against the BRA.
* Weapons for the PNGDF are either made and/or supplied by Australia.
* Australian Intelligence advised the PNG government to establish a total blockade around the Island preventing any supplies including medicine reaching the people.
* 10,000 people have died. That is 7% of the total population. Many from preventable disease, due to restriction of medicine to the island.
* Rape, torture and beatings are common tools of the PNG and its puppet "Resistance Force"
* Australian supplied phosphorus bombs (napalm) are used against civilian targets such as villages
* Villages have been destroyed and the inhabitants herded into "care centres" in an attempt to isolated the BRA from support.
* 1n 1995 BRA representative to peace talks were fired on by PNGDF troops.
* In 1996 a government offensive destroyed many villages, however the PNGDF were driven back by the BRA, who often were armed only with home made guns and traditional weapons
* In 1997 the PNG hired London Based Mercenaries, Sandline International to crush the BRA.
* However riots, looting and protests by PNG population against the use of mercenaries forced the PNG government to back down. PNG Soldiers mutinied against the mercenaries.
* BRA seizes Sandline International Weaponry.
PEACE.....OR STILL WAR
* In 1997 from a position of strength BRA initiates a Peace Process
* 30 April 1998 a cease-fire agreement is signed.
* Unarmed UN Peace Monitoring group is to participate
* May 1998, elections are held for the Bouganvillian People Congress. BRA candidates win a massive majority.
* There has been no real progress of demilitarisation by either side. PNG Soldiers are yet to withdraw; thus the BRA refuses to lay down arms.

BRIEF ANALYSIS AND OPINION

Okay so you just read a short history of what is has gone on, in Bouganville. But what is it all about. It is the same old story. A large multi-national mining interest sees resources and profit in an area "owned" by people that are deemed "weaker" than them. The company then uses the resources of the Imperialist State (Australia) these people. The peoples traditional life is destroyed and the company facing no restrictions proceeds to rape and pillage the land, judging success solely on the basis of profit (like all companies do). The environment poisoned, the people oppressed. Yet what is different here is that the people revolted and relatively successfully. The mine is still closed and the BRA is still fighting. This shows both the strengths and the weaknesses of the ruling class. On one hand the capitalists have everything: they have the state, they have the media, they have the workplaces, shops and roads. Yet on the other hand they have nothing. We work, we supply the labour, they are reliant on our compliance. Thus the full force of the Australian Army could not be used against the BRA because the Government knows this would cause an upsurge of resistance here at home. So the PNG government uses mercenaries that cause their own people to revolt. The capitalist state is trapped: on one hand they need the profits to keep on going, they need to repress these people. Yet on the other hand they need the compliance of people in Australia. People that have been kept compliant with ideas like "Australia is a nice kind democracy that helps the third world". If Australia stepped up the fight against the BRA this would rip away this allusion and cause more problems here at home. See the ruling class is scared shit less of you. It is scared that ordinary people are going to get to gather and create a better world. Why else do you think that they spend so much money brainwashing you throw the media, teaching you to obey at school? Why else so you think they have the army, the secret police (ASIO, Special Branch)? Now will the people of Bouganville be able to win autonomy and freedom...well I do not know. But what is going to make it easier for them is if you do something to help, raise the issue, storm the PNG embassy, picket CRA/Rio Tinto.

Now why the fuck should you care I here you ask. Well this company CRA/Rio Tinto, has been one of the major enemies of unions in Australia. It just keeps on trying to brake the power of ordinary people. So you see the interests of the people in Australia, and that in Bouganville and in PNG (and the rest of the world) are the same: to dump the ruling class off our backs.