Frank Meyer: The Communist Who Invented Modern Conservatism

The Unlikely Architect of Conservatism

• 💡 Frank S. Meyer is presented as a central, yet largely forgotten, intellectual figure of 20th-century American conservatism.
• 🧠 His key contribution was fusionism, an alliance between traditionalists and libertarians that formed the backbone of the American Right.
• 🎭 Ironically, Meyer developed fusionism while a committed Communist, initially envisioning it as a unification of American founding principles with communist ideas.

From Communism to Conservatism

• 🚀 Meyer was a significant organizer in the Communist Party of Great Britain, leading to intense surveillance by British intelligence.
• 🇬🇧 He was eventually deported from the UK and later spent a decade in the American Communist Party, holding positions like director of the Chicago Worker School.
• 🇺🇸 Meyer's shift began when he encouraged Earl Browder to fuse Marxism with American traditions, a concept he later applied to conservatism.
• 💥 A pivotal moment was the Duclo letter in 1945, signaling the end of communist cooperation with Western allies, which led Meyer to question his allegiance.

Testimony and Transformation

• 🤝 Meyer's decision to testify against Communist Party leaders in the 1949 Smith Act trial was agonizing, viewing it as a choice between betraying his country or his friends.
• ⚖️ His testimony led to the imprisonment of 11 Communist Party leaders, including Gus Hall and Eugene Dennis.
• 📚 Key intellectual influences on his conversion included Friedrich Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" and Richard Weaver's "Ideas Have Consequences."

Fusionism: Tradition and Liberty

• 🧩 Meyer's fusionism aimed to unite traditionalists (conserving the American founding and freedom) with libertarians.
• 🗣️ He believed freedom and tradition were complementary, not conflicting, a core tenet of his philosophy.
• 🏛️ In his manifesto, "In Defense of Freedom," Meyer outlined three legitimate functions of government: police powers, adjudicating disputes, and national defense.
• ⚠️ He was critical of the "new conservatives" who sought to use state power to inculcate virtue, arguing that true virtue cannot be compelled.

Personal Life and Influence

• 🎭 Meyer lived a vibrant, "3D" life, marked by intense intellectual debates, friendships, and personal complexities, including relationships with prominent figures like William F. Buckley Jr. and Russell Kirk.
• ✍️ His charisma and intellectual prowess attracted many, including figures like James Michener and Eugene O'Neill Jr., and his writings in National Review fostered a deep connection with readers.
• 🌍 Despite his personal complexities, Meyer's ideas profoundly shaped the post-war conservative movement, influencing figures like Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan.
• 💡 The book highlights the discovery of extensive personal papers, revealing a more nuanced and colorful portrait of Meyer beyond his ideological label.