The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1948-05-07
TO WIN IDEA FIGHT, MAKE
OUR DEMOCRACY WORK
By JOHN McGUFFEY
Roman, Montana

In a recent issue of TIME magazine
leading article said "The struggle
in the world is for mems hearts and
minds, and then observed that there
seemed to be little realization of that
| fact in our country. That is certain
| ly true of our military and govern
mental leaders. They seem to assume
that this struggle can be won by back
| ing the most reactionary elements
with guns and ammunition.
Is it any wonder that communism
appeals to people like the Chinese
who live under an ancient feudalistic
system of landlordism where priva-
ton and hunger are chronic, and
when floods and drouhts occur, mil
lions starve to death. In Greece, we
are supporting a reactionary king who
is paid 100000 a year, and we're
furnishing the money, so that he is
able to draw his salary Likewise in
Egypt it is reported that the average
woman lives to be only 81 years old,
and the average man dies at the age of
80 They are worked and starved to
death.
In eastern Europe, landlordism has
existed for centuries. Some 20 years
ago, Louis Adamic, who had been sent
to the Balkans by the Carnegie Foun-
dation to investigate conditions there,
reported that in that section from
Poland southwark through the Balk-
ans, there were some go million pea
SAINTS, and that large share of them
were so poor that they could not af-
ford to buy either salt or matches.
Now, what chance have we got to
win the hearts and minds of these
people by backing their old oppres-
sors with guns and ammunition to
beat the people back into submission?
All history has demonstrated that
mems hearts and minds are not won
in that manner. We must remember
that in this struggle, ideas are the
strongest weapons.
We are using the wrong methods
We are bound to lose this struggle
unless we can instill hope for bet
ter life for these peoples. Someone
has said that no country needs to fear
that has something bet
ter to offer.
1t makes me think of sermon |
heard last year over the air by the
pastor of St Paul's Methodist Church
Nebr. He said Getting
tough in diplomacy and power poll
tics is as out of date as a prairie
schooner would be going down Fifth
Avenue, New York.
To make our contribution in this |
conflict of ideas, our job is to set our
own house in order and give a demon
'tration of how it can be accomplish |
ed by peaceful democratic means. |
We must stabilize our economy so as |
% give people more security. We |
must eliminate our boom and bust |
cycles so that when man has ac-
some property or establish
I'd business during the boom per-
cd, that it's value will not disappear
when depression comes.
Also, when a man has spent years
n acquiring some skill and has secur-
I'd good job, he will not be faced
With unemployment.
There must be more equality in med
cal care and educational ADVANTAGES,
nd our minority groups must be made
ecure in their civil rights And, per-
aps, the most pressing of all these
is to solve the question of
monopoly. We must make it impos-
IDLE for a small group to set the
rice on the necessities of life and
hus exploit the whole American peo-
lie.
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