ERSPECTIVE

ERIK V. KUEHNELT-LEDDIHN

THEAVERAGE CITIZEN of the United masses." Others will blame the

States knows only too well that Spaniards for not having raised
something is seriously wrong in the educational level of the Indi-
Latin America. But what is it? ans, and so forth. Yet, in the prev-
If somebody has the measles, we alent views on Latin America,
notice the rash, but this is only untruths are pitted against half-
a surface reaction on the skin truths, results are taken for
pointing to a disease which actu- causes, and stark ignorance is
ally infests the organism pro- mixed with stubborn prejudices.
foundly. The military dictator- As with a human being in a
ships in Latin America also are state of general decline, it is
reactions to an unhealthy situa- necessary to investigate the "case
tion. Usually people will mention history" of Latin America. What
the glaring differences of wealth is this part of the world like?
and insist that "social reforms" What does it represent? First of
would do the trick. Some claim all, let us face the fact that apart
that there is no "genuine faith" from the Caribbean area Latin
in Latin America and that the America consists of three major
Church, by "allying herself with regions :
the rich" and failing to "fight (a) the countries (from Mex-
illiteracy," has "betrayed the ico to Paraguay) with many In-
Dr. Kuehnelt-Leddihn is a European scholar,
dians, a large mixed population
linguist, world traveler,
many published works,
and lecturer.
the best
Of his
known in
and a small, sometimes exceed-
America is his book Liberty or Equality? ingly small, white top layer,

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 208 THE FREEMAN April

(b) predominantly white na- established: churches, chapels, ca-

tions (Chile, Argentina, Uru~:uay) thedrals, palaces, city halls, print-
and ing shops, universities, monas-
(c) Brazil, a "sub-conti)~ent" teries, convents, and comfortable,
larger than the United S’;ates, spacious living quarters sprang up
which is of Portuguese, not of almost over night.
Spanish origin and has a strong
African admixture. A Different Race
In spite of great varieties these It was the Crown that tried to
three regions have a surprising protect the Indians and later the
number of common problems. Mestizos. The new aristocracy of
Now let us say a few words Latin America, however--not at
about the Indians. Some (but by all social, political, or religious
no means all) of the Indian tcibes refugees as in North America, but
had a relatively high civilization largely members of Spain’s lower
prior to the arrival of the Euro- nobility- resented the Crown’s
peans. Still, they knew neither "protectionist" policy. "You in
the wheel nor genuine writing. Madrid or Seville do not realize
Those who were civilized lived what we are up against!" they
in highly autocratic and totali- indignantly protested. And they
tarian societies in which hard were right-in a way. The In-
work, as far as it existed, was dian (unlike the African) has
carried out under the whip of most difficult personality, is ra-
overseers. State and religion had cially easily assimilable but cultur-
tyrannic aspects; human sacri- ally quite inflexible. He has anoth-
rices were the rule. When the er logic, he is suspicious, has a
Spaniards moved in, efforts were closed mind, is not interested in
made to assimilate and amalga- private property and indifferent
mate the native nobilities (in to pain, humorless (by our stand-
Mexico they were made equals of ards), unreliable, lazy- if we
the grandees); but, by and large, take Western notions as a measur-
the upper crust became Spanish. ing rod. "The lucky Yanquis!"
Once the adventurers who had I was once told in Peru, "If only
brutally subjugated the cou:atry we had Negroes instead of In-
were eliminated, harnessed, or dians !"
disciplined, the Crown took over. Yet the Crown was also right.
The Spanish administra’~ion The Indians with their different
worked miracles. In no time, a wave length were certainly diffi-
new Christian civilization was cult to handle. They proved highly

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1968 LATIN AMERICA
IN PERSPECTI~VI~ 209

uncooperative and, more than dians, needless to say, supported

their local Spanish masters, the Crown which, however, was
showed a profound distaste for soon defeated on battlefields thou-
systematic, hard work. We must sands of miles from the mother-
bear in mind that the work ethics land.) The intellectual fatherhood
we know today in the Western of the French Revolution in this
world developed only after the struggle also hurt the Church.
Reformation. Our medieval an- The majority of the priests and
cestors worked infinitely less than friars, born in Spain and loyal
we do. The average city or town to the king, packed up and went
in Europe 500 years ago cele- home.
brated between 90 and 140 holi- This "war of liberation" left
days a year in addition to the 52 the Disunited States of Latin
Sundays. Before the Spanish con- America laboring under insoluble
quest, the Indians were used to problems right from the start.
either a bucolic life on the lowest Never had a republican and demo-
level or to forced labor under their cratic form of government been
monarchs and caciques. Without adopted by countries less qualified
stern discipline, the colonies could to make it work. (In our genera-
not have existed. This, Madrid tion, only Africa has made the
did not understand. Hence, the same mistake.) In 1822 the two
resistance of the local "whites" great liberators of Latin America
against the distant capital and met in Guayaquil: the Venezuelan
also against the Church which liberator of the North, General
preached benevolence, leniency, SimSn Bolivar, and the Argentine
and tolerance. liberator of the South, General
Jos~ San Martin. The latter im-
TheWarof Liberation plored Bolivar to establish a mon-
As a result the Latin American archy in South America, to look
upper crust, egged on by Britain for a European prince who might
and the United States (both eager accept the crown! He was con-
to trade in that huge area) and vinced that republican democracy
imbued with the ideas of the was bound to fail in the Latin
French Revolution, rose against part of the Western Hemisphere.
Spanish domination. We had the Bolivar replied that he could see
amazing spectacle of a wealthy, San Martin’s reasons but that he
landowning Creole aristocracy had to oppose his views; he was
fighting the Crown because it pro- pledged to republicanism and de-
tected the lower classes. (The In- mocracy; to advocate monarchy

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210 THE FREEMAN April

would be a betrayal of everything publics have to shun the "party

he stood for. spirit" and must always seek a
San Martin returned to Argen- commondenominator. Now, given
tina a broken man, packed his Latin individualism, this uniform-
belongings and went into volun- ity is lacking-not only South of
tary exile in Europe. He died in the Rio Grande but also on the
poverty in a small French town Iberic Peninsula, in France, Italy
30 years later. Bolivar, however, and, we should add, in the rest
came to regret his reply. He, too, of the non-Protestant Western
died in despair. "There is no faith world. The "team spirit" charac-
in Latin America," he wrote, terizes the Protestant, not the
"neither in men nor in nations. Catholic or Greek Orthodox world.
The Constitutions are mere books, Buttonhole the typical NewYork
the treaties scraps of paper, the commuter and ask him what his
elections battles, liberty is anar- political belief is. Youwill find,
chy and life a torment." He fore- chances are, 100 per cent stand
saw the rise of small local dic- for the republic, 99 per cent for
tators and a decay so general that democracy. Then repeat the ex-
the European powers would not periment in the subway of Madrid
even bother to reconquer a bank- o1" Barcelona and you will dis-
rupt continent. "I have plowed cover where genuine pluralism is
the sea," was his cry of anguish. at home.
The political parties of Latin
No Common Denominator America suffer as a rule from
These events of a century and radical ideological divergencies.
a half ago clearly foreshadow the Most of the parties are of the left
outline of our present troubles. -left of center, moderately left,
Harold Laski said that the demo- radically left, yet, at the same
cratic republic will work only if time they are extremely national-
two conditions are given: a two- istic and show marked socialistic
party system and what Walter tendencies. (This is also true of
Lippmanncalls "a public philcso- the so-called Christian Democratic
phy," that is to say, a common Parties inspired by the Left Wing
outlook, commonpolitical prin- of Italy’s democristiani and not
ciples uniting the entire nation. by the German, Austrian, Swiss,
In his Farewell Address George or Dutch Christian Democrats.)
Washington pointed out that This combination of nationa[ism
whereas monarchies can afford Lhe and socialism is a frightening
luxury of ideological diversity, re- mixture known only too well to
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1968 LATINAMERICA
IN PERSPECTIVE 211

us in Europe, and it is even more Italians, Spaniards, and Portu-

frightening if it has racist under- guese who have developed ma-
tones as we find them in Peru’s terial ambitions in Northern style.
APRAand, to a lesser degree, in They becomerich quickly. In Mex-
Mexico’s PRI. The difference be- ico the Spanish immigrants (and
tween them and the Hitlerites, refugees) are called los zopilotes,
however,is this : the Nazis praised "the vultures," not only because
the lily-white Aryans whereas the of their sharp noses and their
Latin American national-socialist beady eyes (so unlike the soft,
parties worship the brown skin. brown traits of the Indians and
mestizos) but mainly on account
Exploitation of Envy of their commercial zeal. When
But why all this Leftism? It is they arrive, they may start by
nothing but the political exploita- pushing vegetable carts; ten years
tion of the startling, frequently later, however, they are likely to
even provocative, differences be- drive a Mercedes. (Allegedly one-
tween rich and poor. In the past third of Mexico’s wealth is in
150 years the successful exploita- Spanish hands-data that are
tion of envy has been the key to difficult to check.)
political success in Europe; and In Caracas I overheard a con-
now the magic formula also works versation between two Venezuelans
in Latin America. In other words: one of whom remarked: "And I
the "social problem" is at the tell you, my friend, Yanquis,
bottom of this political ferment Germans, Portuguese, Spaniards,
and seems to work into the hands Italians, Syrians - they’re all
of Moscow, Peking, and Havana. Jews, they’re all Jews," by which
In using quotes for the term he meant that they work hard,
"social problem," we want to in- save money, reinvest it shrewdly,
dicate that the issue is not really and generally forge ahead. Yet
a social, but an economic one. this "automatic" financial rise is
Not really "social"? No. Though also achieved by the ambitious
in the past the Latins were not minority amongthe natives, what-
hard workers, the Indians (un- ever their color. In a generally
less they were totally enslaved) lethargic society where people, by
worked far less. Foreigners with and large, are not very competi-
knowledge and determination have tive the few ambiciosos (what
a very good chance in Latin Amer- dirty word!) will swiftly rise to
ica-not only Americans, Ger- the top. And how they are hated:
mans, and Britishers but also the Gringos and the local rich!
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212 T I/.[ E FREF,MAN
TheSocialPyramid
As a result of this odd distribu-
tion of energies (which, inci~ien-
tally, is not climatically condi-
tioned) the social pyramid has
very broad base and then narrows
abruptly, ending in a very fine
"needle." Such a "needle" is con-
spicuous indeed. In North E’Jro-
pean countries the social pyramid
looks more like a triangle and its
top is relatively broad. Still, we
know that in Austria a total con-
fiscation of monthly incomes of
$1,000 and over would, if equally
distributed amongall citizens, pro-
vide them with another cent and
a quarter daily. If one were to ex-
propriate all peso millionaires in
Mexico, that means people owning
more than 80,000 U.S. dollars, each
Mexican would receive once and
for all the sum of $18.00. The :~ta-
tistics would look even less fa~or-
able in countries like Colombia,
Peru, or Bolivia.
In other words: the most radi-
cal social reforms would hardly
make a dent in the living stand-
ards of the masses. Not the ex-
propriation of the rich will allevi-
ate the situation, but only a sub-
stantial general increase in ~,ro-
duction. Rich countries are not
rich on account of "natural
wealth" (a totally exploded fal-
lacy) but on account of a h:igh
work ethos, of industriousness,
saving, and investment. Radical
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discrepancies between the living
standards of the social layers ex-
ist only in basically poor countries
--and they are poor because the
majorities are not enthusiastic
about hard and systematic work.
Investments, too, present a tick-
lish if not insoluble problem. A
revealing passage in Populorum
Progressio speaks of wealthy peo-
ple who, instead of investing their
profits in their owncountry, trans-
fer them abroad. It is true that
wealthy Latin Americans, except,
perhaps, Mexicans, have the tend-
ency to invest in the United
States, in Switzerland, even in
Spain and Japan. They do this
in spite of the fact that the profits
derived thereby are well below
what they would be at home. But
it is safety these investors are
worried about. Since most of the
big popular parties are Leftist
in their tendencies, since CON-
FISCATIONis written in large
letters on their party banners-
confiscation of factories, large
estates, church property, foreign
companies - no wealthy Latin
American can trust his own coun-
try.
A Formula for Failure
Almost all big parties, indeed,
talk about "soaking the rich" and
so do the Christian Democratic
Parties who want to take the
wind out of the sails of the Marx-
1968 LATIN AMERICA IN PERSPECTIVE
ist and "national socialist" groups.
Appealing to the envy of the many
seems the only way to get votes.
A young Peruvian Christian Dem-
ocrat informed me that 78 per
cent of his country was in the
hands of large landowners. I in-
quired how much remained for the
average agrarian family. Taking
the size and the thin population of
Peru into consideration, there
seemed to be land enough for all.
"What about the Japanese im-
migrants?" I asked, "They all do
extremely well on tiny plots."
"You are right, but our people
would never work as hard as these
Japs do; thus we have to carve
up the large estates, just as we
have to nationalize the American
oil companies."
"Confiscate their property?"
"Not really. Weshall give them
2.5 per cent government obliga-
tions. They got their treaty by
bribing our deputies."
"But didn’t you tell me before
that you want foreign invest-
ments, foreign loans? Howdo you
expect to get them after expro-
priating American companies?"
"Well, they have to shell it out
or we’ll become communists. If
they won’t do it, we’ll ask the
Germans."
"My dear friend, economy is
based on credit and the term cred-
it implies trust. The Germans
won’t give you a cent !"
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The young man was enormously
surprised.
Military Stopgap Measures
Discussions like this prove the
existence of a genuine vicious cir-
cle: no general disposition for
hard work (as it is known, actu-
ally, only in parts of Western
civilization and in East Asia),
the tremendous gap between rich
and poor, the demagoguery of the
Leftist parties (led predominantly
by "university men" and morally
stranded scions of old families),
all this creates the necessity for
unconstitutional "take-overs" by
the military. American public
opinion as well as the State De-
partment heartily disapprove of
undemocratic military rule, but,
normally, the armies step in only
when the country is menaced by
a Leftist, anti-American, pro-
Castroite faction as a result of
free elections or revolts.
In the past, most proteges of
the United States have turned out
to be leaning to the Left, toward
Moscow,if not Peking, once they
took over with American moral
or financial support. This was the
case with Fidel Castro whose
ascent to power was enthusiasti-
cally greeted by the American
press, of "Papa Doc" Duvalier
in Haiti, of Juan Bosch. Whenthe
military junta in Santo Domingo
ousted Bosch, when the Peruvian
214 THE FREEMAN
army prevented Rafil Haya de la
Torre from gaining control, when
General Ongania took the reins
in Argentina, Washington was
none too happy. (The American
acclamation of Marshal Castelo
Branco in Brazil was something
utterly new.)
Yet, one must admit that mili-
tary dictatorships are only stop-
gap measures. The problem posed
by San Martin to Bolivar is as
timely today as it was a century
and a half ago. Still no monarch-
ist party, no monarchist senti-
ment exists today in Latin Amer-
ica- except for Brazil which was
fortunate enough to have a raon-
archy until 1889. Constitutions
pose an insoluble problem every-
where, with the exception of Mex-
ico which has a one-party sys’!em,
being run by the PRI which, in
turn, is firmly in the hands o:~ an
oligarchy. An ideal situation? By
no means. But, at least, thanks
to strictly rigged elections, there
is a permanence on which an ex-
panding economy can be based.
The PRI (Revolutionary Institu-
tionalist Party), once violently
hostile to religion, has settled
down, has become "bourgeois,"
has made its peace with the to-
tally impoverished Church.
TheRoleof the Church
And what about the Church in
all that Latin American turmoil?
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Perfectly silly charges are leveled
against her: that she always sided
with the rich, that she owns great
wealth which she does not share
with the poor, that she did noth-
ing to alleviate illiteracy because
she has a better hold on ignorant
people, and so forth and so on.
The fact is that the Church is
desperately poor, that priests are
living in abysmal misery, sleeping
sometimes like dogs on the ground
as I have seen with my own eyes,
that she has been totally expro-
priated in many countries, that
she has made and is still making
heroic efforts to educate all layers
although secular education is not
one of her primary tasks. (Actu-
ally, in most, though not in all,
Latin American countries the
Catholic schools and universities
are undoubtedly far superior to
their secular counterparts.) That
there are certain ecclesiastic prob-
lems which, for the moment, are
beyond solution nobody will deny
--for instance, the crucial prob-
lem of vocations.
What I am worried about, be-
cause a solution can and must be
found, is the Church’s stand in
the aforementioned "vicious cir-
cle." Christianity being only 400
years old in many parts of Latin
America (where it is not Euro-
pean Christianity transplanted,
but superimposed!), it has af-
fected only the blood and the
1968 LATINAMERICA
IN PERSPECTIVE
hearts of the people, not the bones
and the minds. This corresponds
to the situation in Germany in
the eleventh century, a fact one
tends to forget in drawing com-
parisons. The Church has, in the
past, concentrated too much on
devotion (especially on Marian
devotion) and not sufficiently on
ethics, as Professor Fredrick B.
Pike of Notre Damepointed out in
a brilliant paper. She did notpreach
energetically enough the natural
virtues: respect for personal prop-
erty, thrift, truthfulness, frugal-
ity, responsibility for the family,
chastity, cleanliness. (In certain
Latin American nations 85 per
cent of all children are illegitimate
and get their entire moral educa-
tion from benign grandmothers.)
Piety is impressive in Latin Amer-
ica, but the Mestizo who prays in
mystical ecstasy, tears streaming
down his face, may vote com-
munist tomorrowor slit his neigh-
bor’s throat from ear to ear. Our
early medieval ancestors acted in
exactly the same way.
Today, having made great ef-
forts in spirituality, the Church
suddenly seems to have discovered
"social justice" and engages heav-
ily in politics. Althoughshe rare-
ly openly advocates the Christian
Democratic parties, she fosters
them secretly and, without suffi-
cient studying and preparation,
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215
teaches specific economic doc-
trines. One shudders at the
thought of what the reaction will
be when the Christian Democratic
parties fail economically in the
countries where they now hold
sway.
We in Europe know by experi-
ence that Christian parties come
and go whereas the Church re-
mains- to face the music. In the
past the Church has suffered
atrociously for having supported
specific political orders. The trag-
edy will not be lessened if, out
of an ill advised idealism, the
Church allows herself to be ident-
ified with specific economic sys-
tems, above all those of a socialist
pattern which are notoriously in-
efficient.
These reflections do not offer
a solution for Latin America’s
tragic vicious circle. There, as
elsewhere, religious, economic, so-
cial, and political problems form
an organic whole. In all likelihood,
the Archimedean point for curing
these ills lies in a reform of the
Latin American’s soul, mind, and
spirit. If this could be achieved,
the economic,social’, and political
shortcomings would largely dis-
appear or, at least, be lessened.
To cure the evils at their roots,
and not by underwriting utopian
blueprints, would thus be emi-
nently the task of the Church. ~
 E. W. DYKES

the Garbage
Service

This article first appeared as "Big Wars from Little Er-

rors Grow" in the January, 1964, FREEMAN.But recent
events indicate that someone must have missed the point.

A FRIENDrecently chided us liber- jump in at this point and apply

tarians for being so engrossed in our principles to get out of the
"pursuing our busy little semi- unholy mess resulting from years
nars on whether or not to demuni- and years of errors on errors. The
cipalize the garbage collectors" challenge might just as well have
that we tend to ignore the most been put in terms like this: "You
vital problem of our time: war are a second lieutenant. Your
and peace. platoon is surrounded. Your am-
Well, I’m not so sure. On the munition is gone. Two of your
assumption that the "garbage is- squad leaders are dead, the third
sue" is more fundamental than severely wounded. Now, Mr. Lib-
the "war issue," I take up the ertarian, let’s see you get out of
gauntlet exactly as our friend has this one with your little semi-
flung it down. nays."
War-like many other of to- My answer: "Demunicipalize
day’s problems-is the culmina- the garbage service."
tion of the breaking of libertarian Now, wait, before you cross me
principles, not once, but thousa:ads off as a nut. I have a point. That
of times. We are challenged to second lieutenant is a goner. And
so is the prospect of lasting peace
Mr. Dykes ~s an architect of Canton, Ohio. until man learns why it is wrong

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