by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
The obvious is neither spoken nor written about. It is striking, imposing itself as a raw fact. It needs no description or commentary.
An astute observer discerns reality (a person, situation, or thing) the precise moment it appears on the distant horizon. A banal observer notices this reality only when it is already halfway here. A sub-observer realizes it only when it becomes obvious. He is precisely a fool.
Yes, a fool. As the number of fools increases, this term falls out of use, as ‘you don’t mention rope in the house of a man who has been hanged.’ However, one can describe such a state of mental insufficiency only with this picturesque saying.
Having said all this, dear reader, I must now turn to what is obvious—because the conclusion I am moving toward, though the most evident of all, is also of incalculable importance. And so I come to the point.
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It is obvious that the United States is a sovereign nation, with the full right and superpowerful resources to do whatever it wants on its own territory.
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It is clear that actions by one nation to interfere in another constitute insolence, aggression, or even a casus belli;
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Now, it is obvious that Iran entirely fits the description of an aggressor nation. It sought to force the United States to hand over the deposed Shah, who, suffering from an incurable disease, had knocked on the doors of the Western superpower, asking for medical help and peace of mind.
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It is clear that Carter acted in a completely submissive manner when he showed Pahlevi’s X-rays to the Ayatollah’s ambassadors to prove that Pahlevi was indeed suffering from cancer. It is also clear that the Ayatollah displayed a ferocity rarely seen in history, insisting that the United States hand over the sick guest to him or to an international court to be “tried” and, naturally, hanged.
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It is clear that, in this way, the dispute goes beyond international law and diplomacy, degenerating into an absurd fight: arrogant little Iran treating the ultimate superpower like a cat treats a mouse.
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It is clear that this situation has descended into the vortex of the unspeakable, with the invasion of the US embassy in Tehran by fanatical students – expressly praised by Khomeini – and the taking of its employees hostage.
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It is also unspeakable that Iranian demonstrators have been taking turns in front of the hospital where Shah Reza Pahlevi is staying, asking Allah to kill him.
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It is also clear that Carter’s reaction, including canceling the United States’ insignificant purchase of Iranian oil, freezing Iranian credits, and staging a naval demonstration in the Arabian Sea, is microscopic in comparison to Khomeini’s outrages. At the time of writing, that is all Carter has done.
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It is also clear that none of this would have happened if Khomeini were not sure that Carter would bow to avoid a world war. It is also clear that any proportionate protest by Carter could lead to war, because the Soviet Leviathan backs Iran.
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Obviously, this means that Russia is the one instigating Iran’s aggression, showing the whole world that it can push its rival superpower against the wall or knock it to the ground with impunity.
The Kremlin aims to present itself as the master of the peoples and ruler of the Earth. This should prompt, not only in the United States but throughout the world, indignant marches by proud crowds protesting against ever surrendering to the ruler.
Such marches, given the decline in Soviet influence they would cause, would bring Russia far greater harm than the advantage it may gain from its current Iranian move. But Russia knows that the danger of marches is not great, as it manages to do in Cambodia what everyone sees, and yet almost no one is seriously indignant. To Russia’s immense advantage, the crowds are mysteriously anesthetized. Apathetic.
In contrast, the United States sustains the Soviet regime by supplying it with 25 million tons of grain each year.
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From one obvious fact to another, we arrive, dear reader, at an apocalyptic picture. Do we not see part of the universal punishment announced by Our Lady in Fatima being fulfilled: the worldwide spread of Russia’s errors? The other part, which remains to be fulfilled if men do not convert, is persecution and wars that break out, and nations that disappear…
Our Lady has never failed in her threats any more than in her promises.
This, too, is beyond doubt.
Note: Original title: É óbvio que… (It’s obvious that…).