The people's voice., 1951-06-08
By A. J. MUSTE
In The Progressive, Madison, Wis

1t is convenient to deal with three
protagonists in this struggle-Russia
and its satellites, Asia, and the Unit
ed States. The struggle has it's mill
tary. economic and political aspects.
1t is also spiritual struggle for the
soul of the zone world" which must
presently come into being if there is
to be any 'world" at all.
Let us begin with Asia. 1t is in
its Eastern and Southeastern portion
that the masses are at the moment
most obviously in vigorous and often
violent motion under the impact of
the revolution which is sweeping the
world. In one aspect this revolution
is nationalistic revolt against for
eign rulers, mainly the Western i'm
perialist nations. Partly it is racial
or social revolt of the colored peo-
pies against segregation and humilia-
ton.
ANOTHER ASPECT of the revo-
luton is econOmic-the revolt against
poverty In a sense this decision of
the hungry that they will no longer
accept hunger as the decree of fate
or the dispensation Of an all-wise if
somewhat inscrutable God, is the
most important and basic thing whicr
is taking place. 1t is incalcuably i'm
pOrtant that we who own not far
from half the wealth of the world
should understand that this is So
nh Il
ually, but in the very marrow Of our
bones.
ANOTHER way to describe the world
revolution in its economic aspect is
to say that it is revolt against land
lordism and feudalism, and an effort
Of non-industrialized peoples to catch
up with the technologically advanced |
ones. But the revolution is also
democratic, revolt which is a ris-
ng up of human beings who want
% be free, who want to be accorded
ne dignity of human beings.
So desperate is this longing for
democracy" and CELEBRATION" that
'aradoxically many regard equality
wen under dictatorship as a boon
md by the same token the dictators
lave to proclaim constantly that they
ire "liberators" and bring the boon
# peoples democracy!
This revolution which is sweeping
ver great sections of Asia is essen
tally the creature or child of the
V est, including the us. Thence for
ecades came the ideas of national
SIN, independence of peoples, the
revolutionary right" of peoples
0 use Abraham Lincoln's words
o 'dismember or overthrow exist
1g government whenever they shall
row weary" of it. Thence came |
he concept of the dignity of the
uman person and "the proposition t
hat all men are created equal"
On the other hand, the contem- t
orary revolution is also the product {
Western technology and industrial
I'M, not the least those of the United g
tates. 1t is well to nail it down i
nat there would be a revolution even I
Russia did not exist n
But now that the revolution is here .
le United States wants none of it.
he child, in a very genuine sense,
our idealism and skill, conceived
our spiritual tradition and fash .
med by our hands, has been brought
, birth, and we disown it. Let us !
effect upon this when we feel sur :.
rised and hurt, as many Americans y
D, at the realization that we are not
are indeed suspected and
zen hated by multitudes of Orientals.
How has this come about? The
are outline of an answer goes like
lis. The United States, which be-
IN as a small nation, born out of
volt against foreign rule and equip
I'd with an ideology in which such
rms as LIBERTY, EQUALITY, and
EVOLUTION were familiar, is now
self an extremely powerful and
ealthy nation.
We are in several respects "sit- /,
ing on top of the world" 1t is a a,
eat we very much want to keep. ta
Thus committed to keeping things G.
ssentially as they are, we tend to "
'e for the STATUS QUO wher- si
ver our influence, or pressure" G.