Well, at least he likes Jesus

This bizarre pamphlet was published in 1937 by the Communist Party USA. The author, Sam Darcy, was expelled from the party in 1944 by Earl Browder for his opposition to "Browderism", and for some reason choose not to return after Browder, in his turn, had been terminated by Darcy's ally William Foster. I think he headed a small group of his own for a while, because I've heard about the existence of "Darcyites" (not to be confused with Marcyites, followers of dissident Trotskyist Sam Marcy).

Back in 1937, however, everything was well between Darcy and the CP leadership (and, I might add, the real leadership, the one in Moscow). "An Eye-Witness at the Wreckers' Trial" is a short pamphlet defending the Moscow show trials, more specifically the trial in 1937 against Piatakov, Radek and the "Parallel Center". It's not entirely clear whether Darcy was really present at the trial, since only a short segment looks like a real eye-witness report. Here is how Darcy describes the notorious Vyshinsky, the prosecutor (or rather chief witch-hunter) at the show trials: "State Attorney Vishinsky is a tall, impressive, scholarly looking man. He spoke in a soft pleasant voice and acted with utmost consideration toward the accused. For example, when Piatakov had spoken for about a half hour, confessing to the most contemptible deeds which would stir the blood of every decent person, Vishinsky not only appeared calm, but arose and suggested to Piatakov that he would suggest a recess if he (Piatakov) was getting tired." Imagine that!

The rest of the pamphlet is either very naïve or very cynical. All railway accidents or sudden explosions in industrial plants must be the result of sabotage or outright terrorism, since such things never happen in the Soviet Union. Come again...? Bank robberies must be the work of foreign agents, since (surprise) bank robberies otherwise never take place in the Soviet Union either! The defendants, who were never tortured or cajoled in any way, voluntarily confessed and therefore must be guilty. Of course, Radek, Piatakov and the others are really working for Trotsky (Stalin's exiled chief opponent within the Communist movement), who in turn is working with Nazi Germany and Japan to restore capitalism in the Soviet Union, partition the country, and (wait for it) give Japan enough resources so it can attack the United States. Therefore, Stalin has really saved the American people from a Japanese attack.

Darcy's pamphlet, of course, was written during the period when the Soviet Union and the Communist parties carried out the tactic of the People's Front. Later, Uncle Joe himself would cut a deal with the Nazis and Japanese. "Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia..."

Another line of "evidence" consist of a long litany of the political or tactical differences which Trotsky and Radek had with Lenin at various points. Thus, we are gravely informed that Radek disagreed with Lenin on the right of nations to self-determination. This gives the real game away: if you disagree with the officially approved line of the Party, you are immidiately under suspicion as a "wrecker" (or potential wrecker, objective wrecker, etc). Darcy himself would get this kind of treatment by Browder just seven years later. Of course, he was only expelled, not shot!

I think Darcy comes across as a little Stalinist rat in his purported eye-witness report of the wreckers' trial, but who knows, maybe he was fundamentally a good guy who wanted a better Amerika. After all, he compares Trotsky to Judas, Benedict Arnold and Aaron Burr, while speaking highly of Jesus, Jefferson and Paine!

Well, thank you. Yes, I'm being sarcastic...