Chinese Wall – Folha de S. Paulo, September 27, 1970

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

“Dr. Plinio: About a month ago, you devoted a lot of space in your Folha article to the reflections and objections of a likely anonymous reader, Mr. Jeroboam Candid Warrior, so I ask you to be no less generous with my letter.

“Am I anonymous? In some ways, yes, because I won’t sign my letter. Even if I did, I would still be anonymous to the public since I’ve dedicated all my efforts to the production sector, where I’ve achieved significant results for the country and myself (why not admit it, since it is an honest gain, as you pointed out in your latest article?). This work hasn’t given me any chance or reason to promote my name to the public, of whom I am an unknown servant. Am I anonymous to you? Not entirely, because if I signed this letter, you would realize we are old acquaintances. However, I chose not to reveal myself.

“The reason is straightforward. I appreciate your kindness, which combines modern friendliness with Old World formality. You would likely be willing to publish the letter with my name, and that would reveal me to the public as someone who objects to you for the first time. To many of your readers, I almost sound like a Protestant, and I want to prevent that.

“Let’s get straight to the point, Dr. Plinio. Don’t you think the TFP is overdoing it by making too much noise about Frei and Chilean Christian Democracy?

“Let’s say that, since your organization achieved a major victory (you see, I’m not a “toad”…) with Fábio Vidigal Xavier da Silveira’s successful book, Frei, the Chilean Kerensky, the TFP wanted to celebrate this with a street campaign. Let’s also suppose that, as a pretext for this celebration, you chose a campaign to clarify and protest about what is happening in Chile. Incidentally, I congratulate you on your excellent article-manifesto, which is clear, compelling, and irrefutable (you see, I’m no Pedecista…). Finally, let’s say that the TFP took the opportunity to reissue Mr. Silveira’s book. Anyway, isn’t all this fuss lasting too long?

“The threat from Allende’s election is limited to Chile, separated from us by the Andes and the River Plate. Among us, it only stirs enthusiasm, resentment, and endless debates. Nothing could be less timely.

“I believe Brazil truly needs to set aside ideological disputes and focus on work. When all attention and energy are directed toward production, it increases. As a result, the frontiers of abundance expand and those of poverty shrink. A well-fed, well-educated person in good health cannot be a rebel. Then, agitation and protests will fade away, like a wick that goes out from a lack of oxygen. Everything will eventually take care of itself. Brazil will emerge from the global crisis unscathed and, at the dawn of this new era, will become one of the greatest powers of the 21st century.

“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to end your campaign?

“Don’t be angry, Dr. Plinio, but I have a follow-up question. Wouldn’t it be better to redirect the time and talent that you and your TFP colleagues dedicate to ideological actions toward economic productivity?

“If the economy can fix everything, ideological action seems to lack real practical value. In the face of a fire, it’s like writing poetry about the tragedy’s poignancy instead of grabbing a fire hose and putting out the flames.

“Let Chile handle its problems, and let Brazilians focus on enriching their country.

“I know many people who think that way.

“Don’t you? Even after this argument?”

My dear semi-anonymous friend: Next time you write to me, save us time by mentioning your anonymity less. I haven’t removed anything from your letter to preserve your literary talents for the readers. Having kindly published your text in full, I’ll be straightforward: your entire introduction isn’t very interesting. You could have gotten straight to the point, and that’s what I will do.

I am struck by the anachronism in you and others who think like you. You speak as if we were in the era of the Great Wall of China. You plan to surround our beloved Brazil with a huge wall of wealth, protecting it from the hurricanes and earthquakes shaking our planet from end to end. How simple and practical is a Great Wall of China made of dollars?

Yes, it’s overly simple and naive to think that any corner of the earth can be enclosed by a wall — even one made of dollars — in the age of television, radio, airplanes, and so forth. Isn’t that perfectly naïve, my anonymous friend?

I do not deny that poverty can lead to rebellion and that development fosters better conditions for maintaining order. However, claiming that development alone is enough to stop rebellion, unrest, and chaos in today’s societies is an illusion!

You only have to look at the United States to see any illusion shattered. Isn’t the land of the dollar shaken, disoriented, bewildered, and reeling from the pressures, unrest, and flames rising from its own soil?

You might say there are poor people there and that they are the ones protesting. Be specific. Do you think, for example, that hippies are generally children of poor families? Or are they more likely the children of wealthy families? Then what?

Be that as it may, if all the dollars in the U.S. are not enough to protect them from subversion, and if salvation depends solely on dollars, then the wall of dollars you want to build around Brazil must be worth two, three, or more times the amount of the US.

How long will it take you and your peers to produce this? Do you think that unhealthy ideologies will stay dormant until then, waiting for you to finish your Great Wall of China so they can attack?

Finally, one last word about ideology. You who want to dismiss all ideological efforts to combat subversion, do you realize that you are a subversive? If not a communist, then at least a communist sympathizer.

That’s right. Centering the economy as the core and foundation of everything, attributing all historical events solely to economic causes, and believing that humans are driven only by hunger or abundance is pure materialism; it is the essence of communism.

You, a wealthy man without hunger or ideas, have been undermined by the evil you thought you were fixing.

My dear sir, work and produce. I wholeheartedly applaud you. However, do not believe that humanity depends on your gold or that the role of doctrine, intelligence, and ideals has died.

That’s not true, and it would be too sad and ugly if it were.

Sorry for my irritated reply. Honestly, I admire your hard work, but your Chinese wall is frustrating.

Amid the struggle, we should at least be spared the simple but dull task of proving that Chinese walls and dollars no longer solve anything.