Five Theses on Narrow Anticommunism – Folha de S. Paulo, February 24, 1974

by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

As promised, today I will list some ways of viewing the communist problem that are so narrow and simplistic that they create serious obstacles to anticommunist action. These ways of seeing things—which I do not share—are often adopted by people I can say, without hesitation, are part of the country’s cultural or political establishment. Thus, it is not my intention to make this article controversial. On the contrary, I ask that it be seen as an invitation to cordial dialogue.

For greater clarity and brevity, I present the various theses of what I would call narrow anticommunism in an articulate manner. I will number them to distinguish one thesis from another.

1. Communist action is carried out through the Communist Party. Socialism and leftism are entirely acceptable ideological or political positions that do not lean toward communism or favor it.

2. In Brazil, terrorism is the only form of communist action capable of success. Merely doctrinal proselytism poses no risk. Therefore, eliminating terrorism is ipso facto the elimination of the communist danger.

3. Theater, cinema, radio, television, and the press are instruments of communist propaganda only when they expressly preach communist ideas. The use of literary or artistic formulas that covertly inculcate communism is not worthy of the attention of public authorities. First, literature and the arts constitute a field entirely autonomous from political activities. Second, if one were to look for such veiled expressions, one would run the risk of seeing expressions suspected of communism in many innocent productions, thus restricting the freedom of culture and art. Furthermore, by entering into more or less Byzantine cultural and artistic considerations, the State would leave its own orbit and sink into inextricable problems. For example, if we admit that communism fights for the ugly against the beautiful, the State should logically fight for the beautiful against the ugly. Hence, the State should adopt its own official aesthetic, which is entirely opposed to its airy, modern vision.

4. Communists are driven by a sincere commitment to solving economic, social, and educational problems. Therefore, solving these problems would appease the communists’ fury and neutralize their onslaught. Abundance and organization are sufficient to defeat communism. At most, police repression should be added. Ideological anticommunist action is not useful for this purpose and may even dangerously exacerbate the communists.

5. Religion has nothing to do with the State or politics. Catholic leftism should perhaps be combated as a form of clerical interference in a sphere that is not theirs. However, Catholic leftism is of no interest to the State as long as it remains a phenomenon within sacristies. Let us admit the extreme hypothesis that, confined to purely religious circles, Catholic leftism may corrode and destroy the Church from within: this is of no concern to the Brazilian State, which is secular.

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As can easily be seen, these five theses are based on a conception I would call naive: the omnipotence of the State. The State would be omnipotent when acting within its immediate sphere, that is, the law, political bodies, the armed forces, and the police. In the face of this, society would be nothing more than an inert mass, easily manipulated at will. Simple matière à gouvernement. It would suffice, at most, to give it bread. The Roman emperors were a little more subtle. The motto they adopted to subject society to state control was panem et circenses. But the latter are not lacking in our day. Thus, the State would have all the elements at its disposal to direct society as it pleases.

However, to what extent do sound doctrine and experience support this very limited view of the relationship between the State and the people, as well as between public authority and ideological issues?

The useful brochure from the Security and Information Division of the Ministry of Education provides valuable food for thought on this topic.

I will analyze it next week, God willing.