Wei,

The inference I draw from your concluding paragraph is that in your view
Pound seems to associate each of the three Axis powers with things he
prizes:

    -- Japan would preserve the teachings of Confucius
    -- Italy would realize the fascist social agenda
    -- Germany would set a eugenic agenda in motion

You state that these three are "united only by the collective imperial
drive".

"Only" requires qualification. What has been lacking all along in your
analyses, in my opinion, is any sense of those things that Pound perceived
as threatening and destructive of civilization.  What and whom did Pound see
as The Enemy? Surely his mind --as evidenced by his writings, both poetry
and prose--  cannot be reduced to a single motive:  "imperial drive".   To
balance your analysis, you need to address and asses the targets of Pound's
animus.  You can call his enemies bogeymen if that is your conclusion.

In Pound's mind:

    -- What do the teachings of Confucius combat?
    -- With what agenda does the fasict social agenda clash?
    -- What does Pound think has been happening to the American "race" and
to racial homogeneity in general?

You are capable of doing more than shoving everything down a
sausage-machine.   To reduce Pound's motives to the monolithic "imperial
drive" is not the place for you to stop.  NEITHER HOWEVER SHOULD YOU MAKE
THE LEAP FROM HERE TO PYSCHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF IRRATIONAL MOTIVE WITHOUT
FIRST NAMING AND CATALOGUING THOSE THINGS HE CONSIDERED TO BE THREATS.  You
need to stay above ground a little longer.  Perhaps you can give us a brief
catalog of those "threatening things" now?

Tim Romano

>  Each member of the Axis, it seems, had its assigned task.  Japan's was to
> extend the Empire in
> Asia in order to preserve the teachings of Confucius.  Italy's was to
> perfect the fascist social
> system and confer the benefits on its colonies in Africa.  Germany's role:
> to perfect the "breed" and show how racial purity was important in Empire
> building.  Japanese Confucianism, Italian social reform and German
eugenics
> were united only by the collective imperial drive.
>  Pound began to praise Hitler's writings very openly in 1942.  On the
radio
> he admits almost
> sheepishly, "I was behindhand in reading Mein Kampf."   Then he asks
> scoldingly, "but do you know
> YET what is IN it?  Have you a clear idea of the program?"
>
> We have a fairly good idea, don't we?
>
>
>
>
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