◆ SpookStack

J 44 THE TECHNIQUES OF SOVIET PROPAGANDA = ment if it wishes to reestablish a normal climate. However, it con-— tinues to adamantly refuse— . . Rt pee BE the self-determination of the captive nations of Europe; ~>:=s:;. the reunification of Germany by genuinely free elections; =-~ the control of disarmament by realistic inspection; « - a the lifting of the Iron and Bamboo ins; ae ; the termination of guerrilla warfare, which is kindling fires in Asia, Africa, and Latin America; BG the elimination of the wall of shame in Berlin, the virtues and beauties of which Khrushchev celebrated just 1 week before coexisting with Averell Harriman in Moscow. a4 Thus, coexistence is entirely abstract; all euphony and no -sub- stance—a particularly’ incongruous position for a regime which pro- fesses materialism. The completely empty proposal made by the Soviets as a preliminary manifestation of a recent mood of coexistence, the nonageression pact between the Atlantic and Warsaw powers, perfectly pure verbiage without the least concrete foundation. The pro as no provision whatever for the enforcement of peace; it is simply a ver in the commitments undertaken by all members of the ations. _ True, words have utility—but mainly for hypocrites. The single consequence of the terms of such a pact would be implicit con- firmation of the Communist status of the European captive nations by equating them, mere satellites with puppet governments supported by Soviet bayonets, with the truly independent and legal States of NATO. Dictatorships are continually gnawed by a profound con- sciousness of their illegitimacy, and before all else crave recognition. And that is what we would award them by acceptance of this pact. We would not be signing “no” to aggression; we would be signing tyes” to communism. . AE ae This is unfortunate, the conciliators will say, but let us still mgn. | Let us admit that communism is here to stay. Let us pasa the j sponge over its crimes. Granted, we could better believe in the new ; spirit of communism if it had put its delinquent past in order, but if ; its good intentions do not extend that far, let us at least attempt to arrange matters so it will not resume its mischief making. —_. Alas, it will resume. . ; First, because the Communists will obviously reason that a new } expansion they will realize by fraud or crime tomorrow will, the day | after tomorrow, become the past, and that the logic of the “new spirit” will then result in a fresh passing of the sponge. And so on, ad! infinitum, without any foreseeable end to the philosophy of the sponge.+ Second, because communism itself has repeatedly and consistently announced its intention to continue its conquests. { Indeed, the most yawning crack in the facade of coexistence is ex- posed by the clamorous Communist insistence that coexistence does! not extend to the areas of what they term “ideology” and “‘the class! struggle.” The good democrat will reason that the competitive! atruggle is staged on the ideological level, and no longer by H-bombs,: it then becomes legitimate, and victory simply has to “go to | est.” It would indeed be legitimate if communism would compete fairly. But—and this is the crux of the matter—what communism calls the| ustrates that it is, in contradiction to Lenin’s teachings, i pledge which is not even new, as being already inco ted | | celia. ie Oy rie hen, ' lbidthhiemaighe Te ' ® Ce ee ee eae +. t i |