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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, APRIL 29, 1983
PAGE 12
find itself drawn into the war, with direct military partici
pation, in defense of a regime that does not meet the East
Coast's criteria for the observance of human rights. The possi
bility that the existing policy in El Salvador might have to
yield to yet another totalist tyranny, with zero observance of
human rights, is left entirely out of the reckoning•...
What would the Left do if it took over? Collectivize the peas
antry? Initiate mass executions? Herd people into concentration
camps? But then, these are not the kind of questions liberals
like to ask••••
Irving Kristo!, the so-called "dean of neo-conservatism" writes regularly
for the WALL STREET JOURNAL. In his April 4 column, he delved into mistaken
reasoning about "causes" of troubles in the hemisphere:
In the case of El Salvador, there l is the case of1 a simple
minded, "progressive" economic determinism....
This economic
determinism, so ingrained a mental habit that even conservative
politicians resort to it without a second thought, is revealed
every time we encounter unrest or turmoil or subversion in a poor
country.
We immediately start thinking about the nation's g overty as being
beyond doubt the "fundamental caus�of the pol1tical turmoil.
[Note: Liberals hold the same view regarding poverty being the
main cause of criminal behavior.] We find it close to impossible
to believe that the reverse is true, that it is endemic political
instability which is the "fundamental cause" of the poverty. Yet
that this is far closer to the truth may be evidenced by a cursory
glance at the Latin American experience•••.
The notion that land reform, or old-age pensions or a minimum
wage would bring stability and progressive economic growth to
these countries is wishful thinking based on an economic deter
minism of the most childish kind.•.. Where political stability
exists, economic aid can be helpful. But political stability is
the essential prerequisite.
If we are prepared to allow a Castro-type insurrection to succeed
in El Salvador because it is a poor, underdeveloped country, then
we should be resigned to seeing similar insurrections achieve the
same success in Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Bolivia,
Equador, Colombia and•••where else. The "domino effect" doesn't
operate automatically, but with� cooperation, � will surely
occur.
Morton Kondracke, the executive editor of the moderate-liberal journal THE
NEW REPUBLIC, agonized over the disaster that may be brewing in Central
America because of misplaced liberal conceptions. He wrote in the April 28
WALL STREET JOURNAL:
As a liberal, I hope Mr. Reagan succeeds in winning military aid
increases for El Salvador and defeats efforts in Congress to cut
off assistance to anti-Sandinista guerrillas in Nicaragua.