| Sumario: | Veblen's critique of German intellectuals during World War I ran parallel to his overall critique of Imperial Germany. Elements from the modern West (liberal ideas or technology) were seen as grafted onto the German authoritarian structure in such a way as to temporarily strengthen that structure. Analysis of wartime writings by German academics verifies Veblen's assertions. Those writings presented the authoritarian state as a better protector of the interests of all the German people than was the type of constitutional state found in Britain. The shrill wartime writings of Werner Sombart were of a different tone than those of the moderates, verifying Veblen's concerns over the explosiveness of the mixture of the modern and authoritarian, as well as its fascistic potential. Veblen's institutional forecasting can, with reservations, be rewarding in analyzing similar atavistic continuities today. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.
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