For Cuba is primarily an act of total. For it is the revolution that faith in the face of impossible odds. unites their previous alienation. Cuba, that frees the The Where does one begin to capture revolution is omnipresent, everywhere that quality? What is it about this in the largest cities and the remotest revolution, that has taken villages. It is a collective enternEisi based on mutual respect. It is a nation institutionalised. almost ecclesiasti- of work for all. It is solidarity. Here cal dogmas of European marxism of manipulation herase no concent and has given them a new mean- Cuba is the only democracy share ing, a new force, a new relevance, every armed against the threat of yankee in- and woman is armed, a new flesh, a new blood? What is vasion. How many governments have it that while the Soviet Union adds that confidence? And because it is a collective will, a collective enterprise, up its production figures, how You cannot manipulate this, order much steel produced, how many that. Cuba could never force people consumer goods, and resorts at the to cut cane, to plant sugar, coffee or same time to neo-capitalist incen- to enozoe in the massive reconstruc tion programmes The register of the tives, reintroduces the profit peoples support and enthusiasm define: motive: while the orthodox Com- the correctness or incorrectness of the decisions taken. If the people don't munist parties of France, Italy and want to do it, it can't be done. Britain lie in a bureaucratic torpor And it is also the awareness of the of inactivity; while these things necessity of Rexibility in the revolupression "Third class of world, it does not express what this " Third World" contains. seems to be a world which is sort of hanging on to other worlds which in turn look upon themselves as more important.
But this Third World makes us the There are those who come from most powerful world of our time. We Western society to lend a helping hand have to choose 2 new evoression Or to the so-called underdeveloped world. it; we would call it the revolutionary They aften believe they find backworld" or the world wardness there. They forget what such struggle, or call it by a name which backwardness is; they forget it is they shows the militant, the dynamic, the who have won their power, their ere osive character of this world. superiority, their technical developFrom it the great changes will issue, ments through the exploitation of these tha changes will na ve to live countries. through during the following years.
Such being the case, the backward. tain not want are now rising call those colniries and which are It is the fault of the Weitern ruling ness is not the fault of these countries.
struggling build up their new life, cocteties. underdeveloped their new attitude towards countries; they CaEseN. and by who, exploiting the people colonialist oppression, underdeveloped in comparison * Third World" to the marrow of their to nof developed countries. bones, built up their enormous power.
thE This is very often an unconcious attiLUES 341833100300A6 0U 09 level of industrialisation and technical tude on their part, though it is an equipment, they have reached attitude that carries weight in their something which many of the so-called relationship with the peoples of these developed countries have not reached countries. Often the visitor says yet; they have dynamically changed does not understand what is happening or are on their way to changing their in these countries; he says the peoples of these countries speak a different societu in a more comnlete manner than that which changes have brought language. With false about in the Western societies, I mean looks down upon them from his high of course, changes through revolution. technical standards, looks down upon a I mean Cuba, Vietnam, North Korea, country which is in the first phase of the liberated zones of Portuguese developing higher standards of dignity Guinea. How can a European intellectual find new means through which to manifest These nations have freed themselves his solidarity with the revolutionary from dominating classes, they have world? freed themselves from exploitation; Writing, in itself, can be a very they have established the dionitu man; and only this can be called de- potent activity. It is not only you velopment in our time who write; there are many elseWe should the revolutionary where working for the same aims. countries, developed countries, and the Western countries which still adhere All of them together make up one to a society which is based on class extensive front. This front is part formation and exploitation, of the active revolutionary developed countries.
struggle. Much in the same way as For example, Vietnam and the United the guerrilla fighter uses his gun States of America: in comparison to decisively, the writer ought clearly the USA, Vietnam is a developed contrv. The society of the United States to define his standpoint. He must contains atavistic, not hide anything. It is not enough humanitarian elements: racism is alive.
to send to those who are fighting powerful groups are ruling over the majority of the nation. in the hills some warm words of [The trial of Anibal Escalante earlier this year was an event of great of which almost every artist in the Western the struggle for liberation. You have to analyse your own point of view, and indicate you stand: whether With a greater or lesser degree of consyou believe in the necessity of global ciousness, one is dependent upon the revolution and whether vou want te institutions of these countries. Even appeal to international solidarity.
you take liberties in expressing what you think, you still beleng to the To start with, you have to secure a old Western society, and you have great deal of knowicage and never lose sight of the historical and insight, work hard to break away from it. The revolutionary world is very, very differaspects of the situation, and also never lose yourself in emotional reflections. ent from the secure world I have grown up in, in spite of having lived through Historically through a natural development. It is seen, socialism is going the period of German fascism, of emidemonstrating that it is a force very gration and war. All this is very differmuch alive It would not be alive if it ent from the fight which is going on had become stagnant within one closed today. block. The fact that it is open and developing many different aspects I have to bring myself to fear my old even aspects which are in strong con- European security, the security of hayfier with one another-make it dyna ing an audience. thcatres. editors: 1 mic-dynamic in a Marxist sense. have to endanger my situation. The confrontation of the European artists, Cuba, Vietnam, and North Korea have writers, intellectuals with a revolualready established a norm on present- tionary country like Cuba is of great day revolutionary socialism, which importance. Arriving in Cuba or Vietexpounds a new socialist world. In Cuba and Vietnam Viewpoint inthe the war which is going on; we derive nam, we become directly involved in Marxism means Humanism. In these a strong physical experience from it. countries, Marxism is always subject Being in Cuba teaches me every day, development, always subject every hour almost, the danger facing never afraid of the country. Being on an island which internat criticising itself, and never afraid even surrounded, blockaded by enemy. I get to know what it means to of criticising the other socialist coun tries. I think this shows an enormous live and work confronted with tha strength as these countries are fighting enemy, te construct, to build and not zaninst the threat of imperialism. Many intellectuals in Europe today are give way to destruction. This is an experience of the ominous Threat very much concerned with Cuba's and strength and courage which I have Vietnam's fight. And when the revo- never had in Europe. In the midst of lution develops in other Latin-Ameri- the political struggles going in can countries, I think this will influence Europe. you are more sale, you can even those socialist countries which as withdraw you can hide yourself; but There you are absolutely in the open, the absolute necessity of the armed you can be attacked any minute; everystuggle. thing that is beilt is constantly threatPened with destruction by the enemy, because the enemy has no other aim I think of the enormous difficulties, 403900 IS80 010034397 01 4043 4449 human difficulties, of the fact that the revolution in order to keep alive This atavistic, histol and renetianar values. This you feel strongly, and this self, to really change ones atti- makes your own point of view much tude, to change ones own past, to dearer it forces von to be even more free oneself from the influence of consistent in your own back yard, because you realise that finally victory the old society one has been will be yours. You may not live to see brought up in, to free oneself it, but your children will!
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I DO NOT LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT " UNDERDEVELOPED ' COUNTRIES. The ex- World" is based on class-thinking, it denotes a third
world partakes. the former colonialised new world of