The Same Tyrants Here and There – Folha de S. Paulo, September 4, 1968

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by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira

 

In my latest Folha article, I invited readers to remain vigilant in the face of Soviet actions in the Czechoslovak crisis, then reaching its climax. It was necessary not to interpret any seeming restraint by the red despots as a manifestation of gentleness or unselfishness, which they do not possess in the least. Their attitudes would not be brutal only to the extent that their policy required. The USSR rulers will achieve invaluable political advantages by donning the mask of pacifism. So, if their actions show anything generous and prudent, it will only be due to their efforts not to drop the mask that has benefited them.
Last week’s events can be fully understood using this criterion. On the surface, the Soviets were prudent. They left at the head of the government in Prague the same “liberal” leaders whose policies had so worried and annoyed them. Thus, Czechoslovakia would continue to have a genuinely Czech and Slovak government. The Soviets would not dominate the country but instead work with its native authorities. As evidence of this, at the time of writing, Soviet tanks are leaving the center of Prague and quietly moving to its suburbs. Under these conditions, the heart of the capital, where the central government and administrative buildings are, is now “free.”
However, this superficial respect for the rights of weaker peoples is so primitive, and the brutality of Soviet actions remains so evident, that no argument is necessary to demonstrate that Czechoslovakia is crushed under the heel of Russian communism.
In other words, their mask has fallen despite their tricks.
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You don’t have to look far to see that it has dropped. The core brutality of the communist mentality, whether Soviet, Chinese, or any other form, clearly shows itself in the various acts of aggression the TFP has endured during its fight against leftist infiltration in Catholic circles.
Although not all of these attacks originate from communists, the communist mentality extends beyond communist circles. It spreads to various leftist groups surrounding them like successive concentric circles. In this way, such attacks demonstrate the communist mentality, even when their agents are only socialists or progressives.
Someday, the list of these attacks might be published, surprising many people. For now, however, we can highlight their main tools:
  1. a) Brute force, meaning attacking our signature collectors with the evident and futile aim of inciting several fights that could justify shutting down our campaign because it disturbs the peace.
  2. b) Slander involves falsely accusing us through graffiti and various acts of violence, without the slightest hint of truth. When summoned to present evidence, the accusers remain silent, yet their slanders reappear. “Lie, lie, lie, something will always remain,” said Voltaire. His cynical assertion is false in our case, as no one believes the slander. Nevertheless, it continues tirelessly in hopes of turning the public against us and hindering the campaign’s progress.
  3. c) Compulsory silence. Friends from a large city in our country recently voiced their dismay at the attitude of most local media outlets. The latter welcome news and comments unfavorable to the TFP but are strictly closed to information, corrections, and refutations from our association.
In summary, the communist-socialist-progressive groups are responsible for numerous acts of brutality—both physical and moral—to suppress our right to speak, act, listen to, and express the feelings of Brazilians. These acts of violence to prevent collecting signatures on a petition directed to the Vicar of Christ on an issue of transcendent civic significance violate the religious and political freedoms of millions of Brazilians. They also egregiously breach the Federal Constitution, which safeguards these freedoms.
Such is the tyrannical rage of leftists of all kinds in our country against a legal campaign conducted with the utmost courtesy by an entity whose peaceful behavior is clear to everyone.
What is the difference between this outburst of our homegrown leftists and the brutality shown by the Soviets in Prague? Ultimately, none. They stem from the same cause and share the same mark: the communist mentality.
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What is the real-world purpose of this comparison?
It seems quite clear to us. It clearly shows what communists desire when their followers shout for freedom: establishing the harsh and unfeeling rule of complete violence.
Indeed, Fr. Joseph Comblin’s writing clearly illustrates in these passages: “It is not enough to make laws. They must be enforced by force. To hit the ground running, power will be authoritarian and dictatorial. Radical reforms cannot be made by consulting the majority, which prefers “shade and fresh water” to avoid problems. … Setting up a repressive system will be necessary: new courts of exception against those who oppose the reforms. Ordinary legal proceedings are too slow.”

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