The Norwegians do not, as a general rule, subscribe to Fascism. At least here in Chicago we find that few, very few, even understand it for what it is.

In Norway, there is no Fascism or Fascist societies. Let us briefly see what are the fundamentals that cause Fascism.

Students and observers of economic and social evolution have not failed to note the beginnings of a radical shift of opinion, a drift in the direction of a new alignment.

Fundamentally, the trend follows the line of economic determination. Capitalism, now in its final, imperialistic stage of evolution, has suffered a severe breakdown all over the world. The breakdown is not far from a complete collapse. Whether or not there will be another recovery, of 2greater or lesser degree and duration, nobody can at present foretell, least of all bourgeois economists who are paid to bolster up hope and confuse the issue. Now and then some confused Norwegian takes the platform and glibly tells us that prosperity is in the offing. Possibly we become rich under the system. But most of us know better.

How does Fascism express itself? It expresses itself in different forms according to local or national conditions. In its fundamental economic aspect it may be defined as a form of state capitalism, the system of exploitation for private profit being retained. In its ultimate, that is, in its extreme expression, as in Italy, it is characterized by a dictatorship.

Fascism has openly shown that it distrusts the democratic system. But we must not be fooled. We often hear our people say, "What we need is a dictator," or "We need a Mussolini," or "The people can't be trusted". How do these slogans originate? Where is our faith in democracy? Why do people express such slogans in words? Simply this, they do not stop to think.

But we Norwegians must retain our faith in democracy, or we may also drift that way.