The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1942-11-06

ing to invite the "have-not" nations
to participate other than on a basis
of free exchange of goods and serv-
ices? To ask the question is to have
it answered in the mind of every read
Ell. But if not, then what nations are
we thinking of, China still? India?
Burma? Mexico? South America?
That way lies Imperialism, and there
is no argument.
In international relationships today
and in trying to visualize the world
of tomorrow Russia under the Soviets
is always Illuminating. Would you
consider Russia a "have-not" nation?
OF course not Hitler Germany, the
great octopus struggling to pass from
the status of ''have-not" to a "have"
nation looks upon Russia and her
freely allied Republics as the most
desirable of all oysters to possess.
But Russia under the Cars with all
the same natural resources that she
possesses today, acted like a have
not" nation. If you do not think so
ask the people Of China, of Turkey,
of Persia NOW Iran) of Serbia, Ro-
mania, and others. But the Soviet
Union because it has an economic
system that, with respect to COM
merce with other nations is interested
only in the free exchange of goods
and services, renowned and cancelled
all these special privilege, imperialist
treaties with these oppressed peoples,
and is now neither a "have" nor a
'have-not" nation, and at the moment
is fighting to the death against be-
coming a subject people That is ex-
actly the status and position and the
only status and position of a truly
democratic nation in her international
relationships.
In relation to the subject matter
here under discussion, outside of the
Soviet Union there are only three
kinds of nations: first, the "haves,"
nations having dominion
over colonial peoples and their pos
sessions; second the "have nots",
those who are aspiring or struggling
to gain dominion over colonial peo-
pies and their possession; and third,
the colonial peoples or weak nations,
client states of the great nations, who
either have been thus dominated over
Or over whom the other two groups
in war and in peace are seeking domi-
nance. This is the relationship of ma
lions which we are seeking to destroy
n this war-we hope.
We must return then to the ques-
ion we raised above, What do we
mean by favoring an opportunity for
he have-not' nations to participate
n the undeveloped resources of this
world? We have shown, we believe,
hat such participation outside "the
rec exchange of goods and services"
which is provided for under point
our, can take place only within the
context of imperialist conceptions and
through the economic trappings of i'm
,erialism however disguised with
democratic protestations.
We do not mean to be critical in
| destructive sense, naturally But
We do consider straight thinking and
rec discussion essential if we are not
lso to fall prey to those fascist forces
which have already engulfed so much
emocratic life in the world. Confu-
ion is the atmosphere in which dem
gogues rise to power. 1t was con-
usion in post war Germany that made
11tler's rise to power possible. 1t
yas confusion that led to the fall of
rance. 1t was confusion of counsel
ere in the United States and in Bri-
ain that led to the betrayal of DEM
cratic Spain and paved the way for
1unich and all the hell that has fol-
owed. Let's get our thinking straight
nd rise out of confusion!
w. H. OLDENBURG.