Our Great Alliance – Folha de S. Paulo, October 8, 1972
by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
The reality is clear to all: two powerful axes, Washington-Moscow and Beijing-Tokyo, are trying to monopolize the direction of the modern world.
The word “monopolize” suggests that, in this endeavor, the two axes are jointly pursuing a worldwide imperialist maneuver to share eventual advantages. However, the frictions between them immediately after the axes are formed are so numerous and flagrant that they seem to directly contradict the idea of a joint effort by the axes to dominate the world.
I do not deny that, for the most part, such friction stems from genuine causes. Nevertheless, there is something fundamental and essential that both axes are trying to achieve together. It is the simplification of international politics, which, from being polygonal and complex, is being reduced to two zones of influence, each revolving around its respective axis.
Once this bipartition process is complete, the two great accomplices will be ready to devour each other.
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This process is inherent in nature. The formation of the Washington-Moscow duo would almost inevitably lead to the formation of the Beijing-Tokyo duo unless those Asian countries accepted a position of clear inferiority.
In turn, the formation of the two axes leads to the establishment of a large area of influence around each axis.
This, in turn, leads almost automatically to each axis fearing the other’s power tomorrow and preparing to annihilate it.
This is the natural game of competition and complicity in our 20th century.
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Here, “natural” does not mean that this is the natural order created by God, which would not lead to such aberrant situations.
In reality, the situation emerging in the last quarter of our polluted, bloody, neurotic, and chaotic century is the result of human flaws.
But with the natural order of human coexistence thus distorted, such axes can emerge.
That said, the essential task for nations—and especially great nations on the margins of both axes—is to defend themselves against the complicity of two great powers seeking to exploit and dominate everything and everyone.
When faced with an axis, there are only two possible attitudes: resignation or self-defense. Those with pride and strength defend themselves, while those without must submit.
I therefore conclude that Brazil and Latin America have a mission to defend themselves.
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We take pride. Latin blood runs through our veins, and its fighting spirit is invigorated by the noble Iberian traditions of the Reconquista and the epic exploration and settlement of the vast lands where we now live as sovereigns. We are Catholics, and as such, we are determined to face the vicissitudes of history with what Camões called “Christian daring.”
But do we also have strength?
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I am not asking whether we are in a position to form a third axis. An axis has only two poles, and the grouping of nations that make up Ibero-America would form a polygon with too many facets to be reduced to an axis.
Furthermore, the Ibero-American peoples have no interest in forming a whole to devour other parts of the world. What we have is more than enough for us. We do not need to dip into others’ pockets to maintain or improve our current standard of living. Moreover, our genuinely Christian upbringing would not allow us to do so.
We must form a family of nations built on firm alliances of legitimate self-defense against those who seek to divide us, pit us against each other, and ultimately force us to choose between the two axes.
I speak here in theory, without considering the very sad reality that at least two nations on our continent—Cuba and Chile—are contested by both axes. Moscow and Beijing are vying to absorb the communist governments in Havana and Santiago.
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At first glance, the unity of the Ibero-American bloc seems somewhat illusory, given the great divide between Hispanic Americans and Luso-Americans.
In reality, Hispanic America is divided into so many nations and spans such a vast geographical area that it would be difficult for it to form a cohesive imperialist group against a peaceful Brazil. For our part, we form a much more compact political and geographical whole. At this stage of development, this enables us to aspire to imperialist leadership in an undefined future. But such a danger does not exist in the concrete order of facts. We are the gentlest people of the most peaceful disposition imaginable. We are brave warriors in self-defense but totally devoid of imperialist sentiment. And thank God!
Thus, imperialism is not a risk on this Ibero-American continent, where nations are sisters and wish to remain so.
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As for the strength of Ibero-America, I do not see why we should consider it insufficient to compete openly for a place that is absolutely independent of the two axes.
Adding up the territorial areas of Japan and Communist China, we have a total of 9,980,000 km². Ibero-America measures 20,500,000 km².
The populations of Japan and China total 850 million people. Those of Latin America total 280 million.
Even at face value, these data allow us to affirm that, with the help of a wise and astute international policy, the great Ibero-American alliance will have serious advantages in choosing a path that avoids forming an imperialist bloc or resigning itself to the imperialism of the axes.
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What about the prospect of China being entirely industrialized by Japan? The question seems overwhelming, for where is a Japan that will industrialize us? We can maintain cordial relations with North America that support our progressive industrialization without being absorbed by it. These relations are founded on traditional Pan-American cordiality and on the fact that we need North America, and it increasingly needs us. As Nixon’s appeasement policy shrinks American alliances around the world, the friendship of the great autonomous family of Ibero-American peoples will become all the more precious to Americans.
For us, it is all a matter of tact and skill, qualities in which genius abounds.
