Must We Perish? - The Logic of 20th Century Barbarism ~ Hershel D Meyer

Must We Perish? - The Logic of 20th Century Barbarism ~ Hershel D Meyer

Medium hard cover with dust jacket
First edition
Dust jacket showing shelf-wear and small tears on edges
Inside book is clean and in excellent condition

Hershel D. Meyer's Must We Perish? The Logic of 20th Century Barbarism is a sobering political and historical analysis published in 1949, grappling with the ideological and economic forces that shaped the brutality of the twentieth century. Meyer argues that the devastation of World War II was not an aberration but a logical outcome of imperialist ambitions, capitalist monopolies, and reactionary politics. He traces the roots of fascism and global conflict to the collusion between big business and militarism, particularly in Western powers, and critiques the role of appeasement, anti-Communism, and colonial exploitation in enabling aggression. The book positions Nazism and its atrocities as symptoms of deeper systemic contradictions in capitalist societies, rather than isolated evils. Meyer also explores the postwar landscape, warning against the continuation of barbaric logic through Cold War policies, arms races, and economic domination. His tone is urgent and analytical, calling for a reorientation toward peace, cooperation, and democratic socialism as a bulwark against future catastrophe.