thumbnail of U.S. foreign policy: Demands of the next; Projections: Latin America
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I had the United States been conscious of where you are why and who died in 1918 after having published a very small book hundred fifty pages almost a book and title. Id have much would have been done to avert or utilized that negative image prevalent in Latin America regarding the United States. This year why an intellectual and he get rolled off rolled off our old video so one to remember at the turn of the century wrote one of the most devastating critiques I gainst American utilitarianism ever produce or a reality if you please in English. One of the characters in Shakespeare's The Tempest his most famous work has become The Pillow Book of several generations of Latin American Jews. There's howling at high school much less a university student in Latin America less not done through Id have several times in his young life. I'll date it as it may seem to us
68 years after it was first published. It has still a tremendous influence in the thinking of young Latimer Latin Americans who of course Sunday will be the leaders of their respective countries. Never has the articulation of anti-Americanism been expressed with greater elegance and classic prestigious ness to gain an understanding of the younger standing Latin Americans have of themselves and of the United States. It is essential that one should have read idea and know Latin American policy maker at Foggy Bottom can understand the area without politically and I sing road kill and let me make an aside here. One I worked in the Alliance for Progress Mr David Bell the head of the agency and I made a trip to Latin America and coming back he expressed his astonishment at the degree and time Americanism that he noted that he felt in the recent meeting that he had attended.
And I asked him Have you ever READ RADO. How do you know he never heard of the road or I just want to get you a copy you will please to I'm sure they must have it in the State Department library promptly the next day I went to the State Department library and after a lot of searching they found one. One copy of a translation done some forty five years ago by a American ambassador to your wife of that book had been taken out and you could see it by the little card had been taken out of the department library. Once in forty years. To gain some insights of Latin American thought and to taste the flavor of his diatribe it is necessary that we quote quote at least a few excerpts and here's Mr Ross speak their American culture. No please don't feel offended by this.
This is what every Latin American gangster or most of them read before they're 20 years old. Their American culture would just far from being refined or spiritual has an admirable efficiency so long as it directs the self practically towards realizing an immediate and they have not incorporated within the acquisitions of science a single general law a single principle but they have made signes a wizard through the marvels of their applications they have made a giant in the ring out of utility that sixty eight years ago the rooms. And from that comes your go their civilization trying to coordinate a movement of our culture so it is a dominant note of optimism of faith which feels or fills our hearts pushing them into the future. Under the suggestion of a heart and African promise it is undeniable that this civilizations civilization produces in its totality a single impression of insufficiency an emptiness behind the immediate preoccupation for positive interests which shapes that formidable mask one
finds only as a formula for the definitive I do you that same absolute your occupation with material victory. These people have not known how to substitute idealism inspired by the past with a high and disinterested conception of the future. They live for the immediate reality the present and Fripp they subordinate all our activities indeed egoism personal and collective welfare. The ideal of beauty does not move to the center of an austere appearance nor is he new moved by the ideal of truth. He deprecates all exercise of thought blocking and immediate finality as being vain and untruthful. He does not bring to science at this interesting desire for truth nor has he ever manifested himself in any case thus loving it for itself. Research is for him only the preparation for utilitarian application. The rally just a few of the Americans is nothing more than an ox Elyria aid to criminal law. The highest point of
their morals is that of Benjamin Franklin. Now philosophy of conduct which finds dissent in what is mediocre about honesty in the utility of prudence from whose womb Never Will Reiser think Minas or heroes on public life was of course not exempt from the consequences of the growth of that germ of disorganization which had that society carries in it in its end trails. Any ordinary observer of their political customs will tell you of how the obsession for the utilitarian interest progressed progressively tends to an event and with it a sense of right in their hearts the now thing which begins with a public vote is propagating itself to all institutional areas. Today they openly aspire to the first. Universal culture to leadership and ideas. And they consider themselves the foreigners of a type of civilization that will prevail. They lack that superior gift of amiability in the highest sense of that extraordinary power of sympathy with which the wrench was blessed with a providential
trust of education have been able to make affect culture. Something similar to the beauty of the classic Greece in which everyone imagines he can recognise traces of his own. Let us hope that the spirit of that Titanic social organism which up to now has been solely will and utility may also someday be intelligence. Sentiment and idealism. These are just a few choice paragraphs from Mr Ruddle and he goes on like that for one hundred and fifty pages. Unhappily rhodos obsolescent half truths still remain the stock in trade of Latin American intellectuals. You find him quoted incessantly in almost anything producing the literature of Latin America. Now literature is a very good way to learn about people. It has the best possible substitute for a prolonged stay in a certain country as American literature and periodicals are widely read by the articulate Latin American establishment. You would be amazed to find how well-informed
they are regarding life in Latin America in the United States today including the nuances and intricacies of national politics. Again the opposite is not true here of course. This intense interest of the Latin Americans in United States. And what is happening here has reduced somewhat the impact of Rideau and has increased it. Alternatively in other areas there was a simple reason for this. Latin Americans need the United States more than the United States needs Latin America. As of now naturally the needy are more prone to learn about the potential provider than vice versa. But I claim that the gap in respect to one needing the other more is fast disappearing. In view of what happened in Cuba and what is going on in Vietnam right now
eventually the United States will be needing the understanding and good will of the people of Latin America as directly as Latin America still needs United States technical and economic aid. One other point that will not hurt mentioning here is the position that the intellectual occupies in Latin America intellectuals and that area I'm not marginal types in society. The opposite is true here. They orient and participate outside of the opposite is true there. They orient and participate actively in the task of governing. They're more than mere catalyst. They are more times than none shapers of things. People in government or business do not feel alienated from or by the Latin American intellectual. This is quite contrary of course to the Anglo-Saxon political tradition in which the intellectual is so suspect that rarely if ever does he achieve a position of power and as a matter of fact when he doesn't see but it is not for very long.
I'm sorry that I do not have a less dramatic word and anguish to express how I feel regathered regarding Latin America Latin American cases so complex so difficult to solve and so fraught with human and global dangers and distress that the use of the word anguish is really not an exaggeration. It is impossible of course even to try to formulate concisely. The problem or problems rather there are already two hundred and sixty million happens in the whole of Latin America just about 5 600 miles away from here. The rate of increase is alarming. If anyone seems to be destined to prove somber predictions of maltose it is Latin America. Yet there are incredibly vast expanses most of them not even explore hording adolescent credible amount of resources of all types.
Nevertheless very little of that practically unlimited economic potential has been tapped on the development in Latin America is a stark reality. Now why there are many answers to this question. In the first place by and large the social economic pattern in Latin American customs is most distressing. The gap between the haves and the haps nots is still more striking in these lands than in most of the countries that share the problems of under development. To further complicate the problem in vast part of these enormous resources are under exploited or not exploited or or not even explored there is a shortage of technical personnel to push forward the difficult task of setting down the setting going the wheels of economic development educating training and particularly organizing the necessary technicians. It's not easy for the simple reason that social and economic mobility in Latin America
is very slow compared to the United States. Another negative aspect is that most Latin American countries have failed to achieve the kind of democratic political stability which seems to be best suited for sound development. Unfortunately the military I that directly exercising power or their shadow projects are so ominously over the weak political power precariously held by this of a. Many things have to happen in Latin America. If the worse is to be averted if things keep on going on heated and the end of the trail then the end of the trail will be bloody rival and chaotic. To avoid that dreadful dental month there are only two ways evolution or revolution. Mexico and Bolivia before and Cuba only recently took the path of violent revolution revolutions almost by definition must have a destructive and destructive
initial episode once over it is necessary to reconstruct and reorganize upon a new basis. Mexico was able to do so. Bolivia is trying to bring Cuba still a question mark. Parents attic please. Let me tell you that more courage and infinitely more wisdom is needed for the second stage than for the first which could be ignited and carried out through by any one unlikely and beautician demagogue provided he's in doubt with his quota of charisma. Before leaving the subject of revolutions let me tell you that no matter how stupid and senseless they might look to us they have a reason to be in the case of Latin America. They represent their journeyings for social justice and spiritual and material growth of millions upon millions of individuals grouping through the pass of history seeking what they consider is their deal. Do you now understand why I dared to use the word anguish at this
moment. On the other hand what to do. The longer I live the more I believe that just as no human being can save another who does not have the will to save himself. No country can save others no matter how good his intentions or how it tries. Witness Vietnam. The Latin American countries have been too dependent on the United States while the United States has been too noisy nosey and eager to force down the throats of its sudden neighbors. North American traditions the North American ways of doing things. Let us once and for all accept that countries isin the case of human beings have their idiosyncrasies and that you simply cannot force any man or nation to act as if it were someone else. The United States on the other hand has a very important stake in what goes on in the rest of the hemisphere.
It would be certainly to its benefit if things were to shape up favorably in Latin America. Therefore it should try to assist as much as much as can its southern neighbors in helping to solve their own problems. We're right to be asked how I would suggest among other things the following. None reciprocal granting of free trade on manufactured goods for a reasonable period. Two Latin American countries to boost their export economies. I didn't have to tell you that to really explain this. The proposal would require almost a full day. Extend all the economic and technical aid only through multilateral agencies. I'm not saying reduce them. I say continue them at the same level but extend them through multilateral agencies. The Inter-American Development Bank for economic aid and the CME that is the Inter-American Committee
for the Alliance for Progress for technical assistance this month of the United States apparatus in Latin America that funds that say should be rechanneled multilaterally drastically reduce our embassy steps. I said Master Cutbill was our investor. Brazil has recently recommended let the Latin Americans use their own institutional tools I'm going their own way in saving themselves. I would go as far as removing all the Inter-American agencies out of Washington beginning with a Pan American Union and lining up with the CFA itself. I sat Weiss of Chileans advice or incompetent president of the auto frame size I said. The Alliance for Progress should be a Latin-American program and the fact that it isn't is the main reason why I think the countries of Latin America are not aware of what the Alliance for Progress really is not as witness of size and he was quite a number of years in Washington. I support nature of the so-called nine
wise men of the OAS In short I void having the United States as an active ingredient in the process. The role of catalyze are is enough. There is need for injecting political and ideological content into the alliance if it is to survive and mystique must be recreated. And this time by the Latin Americans themselves we must recognize the overwhelming political content of such an enterprise. Phillipa Retta the president of the Inter-American Development Bank director likes this as far back as 1962. This is what he said. In practice the Alliance for Progress has placed particularly emphasis on the economic aspect even though any process of economic and social development is in the last analysis apolitical undertaking. I wish we understood that about you to succeed. The alliance must
generate the elusive sensibility to political appeal. It must bring forth that excitement and enthusiasm which makes possible the great and divers of men Celso to Tahoe a much misunderstood Brazilian revolutionary does not think we exaggerate when we call the alliance a tremendous enterprise. What we in the United States sometimes fail to realize is that what is a state is this style of civilization and culture which will prevail in Latin America. Our next door neighbors who even share time zones with us and who in thirty two years will Number Six hundred million twice as many as us. Development is an uncontrollable force in Latin America today. It is bound to tear apart the bonds which every Gresson social structure prevented from achieving full fruition. No counter-revolutionary forces can contain the wings of revolution for long.
One thing alone remains in the balance now. Will these winds blow with the struct of gale force and imperil our own democratic institutions or will we be able to read Kirkman and understanding to come to terms with these forces. We have a rare historical privilege to be able to perceive clearly the alternatives open to us. May our actions be incited by the will and eliminate it by recent. If we fail it will be because we will have betrayed our own revolutionary traditions. Thank you very much. If you are listening to this sixth program in a series of seven on U.S. foreign policy demands of the next decade. Teodoro Mosco so has talked about projections. Latin America
as one of six foreign policy Association speakers in a recent conference at Portland. Following his talk Mr. Moschella so answered questions from his audience. The first question do Latin Americans need to acquire a sense of nationalism before a social progress can take place. I believe that that is a very perceptive question in many. Countries of Latin America. There hasn't been developed fully a sense of nationalist purpose. There are some countries however that have developed on the perception that as your question resides in the fact that one that. Nationalist. Force the mergers you get real true development. One country that has done it of course is Mexico right next door to our borders and they're the. Economic and social progress has been almost
uninterrupted for the last 15 or 20 years on I believe that other Latin American countries are starting to develop that sense of nationalist nationalism and that purpose that nationalism gets. Chile being one unfortunately I can t I believe has not been fully developed but Brazil is one that is rapidly developing it and I am very optimistic about the future of Brazil. The next Mr. Moskos always asked how can Latin American people put faith in their government. Would you have of course put your finger right on the center of the room. There are very few governments that have popular basin and Latin America that fully represent their people. And one of the unfortunate things is that then we in the United States have not been able to recognize those governments when they do appear. And as a matter of fact the fact that
sometimes put stumbling blocks for the most absurd reasons. I'll give you a case in point. A government affair Nundle been around a parish I believe it was came to power. I was truly representative of the. Aspirations and desires of the majority of the. Peruvians. Nevertheless we were unwilling to accent all the eight we should have given for the simple reason that that was a private. Limo quarrel between the international petroleum company and the government through which they get 30 years back and which probably could have been resolved and that been a little bit of of goodwill on both sides and perhaps the side that shouldn't look forward because that's one of the privileges of any powerful should've been the United States or at least the
American company. I happen to have. Had dinner one night with the who is not the president who is now the chairman of the board of the Standard Oil Company neuters IPC International Petroleum is one of the successors. He started his life in just with Standard Oil in. Peru and he admitted that. He should have resigned over that problem and he had a suggestion that he put before the board to resolve that problem 30 years before. And this quote has been allowed to fester. Just because at that time standard all said well we're spreading all over the world if we give in and prove we're going to have to give in somewhere else which of course it may be fine for Standard Oil but it isn't very good for the Brutus. Now. I do think that. American investments should get you protection etcetera but not.
At the sacrifice of giving assistance to perhaps the one popular or representative government that Bolivia that Peru has had in his history. Now here's a case where the have nots believe that they have a representative who is going to provide them with the things they needed. And he was stymied he was forced to reduce his speed because we didn't give in to the assistance of Bush that was necessary. He has had to spent most of his time. I agreed with our mission directors and with our ambassador as to whether or not he was going to get the aid. He has had to spend countless hours trying to see if he could resolve this IPC problem which has become a political problem. It's no longer an economic. This is a tremendous issue in Peru by now anything which is allowed to fester for 30 years becomes a political issue. Now there have been other governments in Latin America with popular support which we have not been willing to get. I asked one stinking support as we should have. On the other hand in comes a group of
generals and two Purcel and we receive them with open arms and they flip gates of gate of aid immediately open to them. These are the things that make us that create a very very bad image for us in Latin America. We seem to be strictly in favor of law and order and I'm not exactly in favor of social justice even though that isn't true. We seen to it as soon as we step over the boundaries of the United States to transform ourselves particularly when we come to Latin America and forget some of our roots it's for kept that revolutionary tradition for kept up to quite a number of people got killed at one time here during the Civil War. And we try somehow or other to avoid anyone getting hurt and one of these countries one drastic social changes are needed. Teodora Mosco So responding to questions at the Foreign Policy Association conference. Next he was asked Is it possible to have a
viable middle class in Latin America without violent revolution. Perhaps the government of the United face of the United States at that time had. Had much experience as it now has in dealing with the underdeveloped world. We might have avoided that. We might have reached some kind of an understanding and come to terms with them. We might have persuaded New York companies at that time to then we might have perhaps persuaded some of the cracks through our land reforms to take place and unfortunately. D The technique of economic development is not very wrong on. This is something that has come new upon this world. It's really since the Marshall Plan and by the way that was not a program to correct under development. That was just a program to assess some of the of the most cultured and well prepared countries of the world to
reconstruct their economies or societies and this was really good. Europe had been ravaged by war and we were going to supply the funds to reconstruct them basically to keep them away from the Soviet sphere of influence. On the other hand and the case of the other developed Were these are countries that have been ravaged by history. And it takes a different technique to handling the problem. And then conclusion Mr. Moskos so was asked is American culture going down Latin American throats easily. But some things are going down very slowly because they want them to because the Latin Americans themselves want to take them very easily. And I said that one of the vehicles for taking medicine if you want to call it that I don't think you have to call American culture such as it is medicine. But one of the ways of approaching a problem on a voluntary basis and leaving it but then to accept that is of course through cultural interchange.
And that is why in the State Department we have a whole area of the Martin devoted to do cultural affairs. Unfortunately yes the. Perhaps the part of the State Department not starved for funds. The old. This has been the sixth in a series of seven programs about United States foreign policy and title demands of the next decade. Our guest today was Ted almost Coso chairman of the board of Commonwealth oil and refining company and former ambassador to events the way he spoke and responded to questions on the general subject of projections. Latin America. This program series is based on presentations from the foreign policy associations traveling foreign policy conference. The programs are designed to stimulate the thinking of an informed American
public about some of the issues to be faced by the nation during the coming decade. Today's program was presented in cooperation with the World Affairs Council of Oregon the Oregon great decisions Council the Foreign Policy Association and TIME magazine. This has been a public affairs presentation of Oregon educational broadcasting. This program was distributed by the national educational radio network.
Series
U.S. foreign policy: Demands of the next
Episode
Projections: Latin America
Producing Organization
KOAC (Radio station : Corvallis, Or.)
Oregon State University
Contributing Organization
University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/500-d795c446
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Description
Series Description
For series info, see Item 3721. This prog.: Projections: Latin America. Teodoro Moscoso, Alliance for Progress, former Ambassador to Venezuela.
Date
1968-10-14
Topics
Global Affairs
Public Affairs
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:30:06
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Credits
Producing Organization: KOAC (Radio station : Corvallis, Or.)
Producing Organization: Oregon State University
AAPB Contributor Holdings
University of Maryland
Identifier: 68-41-6 (National Association of Educational Broadcasters)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:29:29
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Citations
Chicago: “U.S. foreign policy: Demands of the next; Projections: Latin America,” 1968-10-14, University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 28, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-d795c446.
MLA: “U.S. foreign policy: Demands of the next; Projections: Latin America.” 1968-10-14. University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 28, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-d795c446>.
APA: U.S. foreign policy: Demands of the next; Projections: Latin America. Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-d795c446