Communism and the West in Asian Countries

The most important movement in the world to day, from the standpoint of history, is the movement in Asia, Africa, and Latin America of the majority of the human race to improve its living conditions, material and spiritual. The East-West ideological conflict and the power struggle are im portant, but only negatively. The economic revolution sought by the depressed majority of mankind has, in the past, been made unaided, but only with great suffering and effort. Foreign aid from richer, developed countries can bring about the revolu tion faster and with less suffering. Whichever of the two power blocs is eventually invited to give the most help will incident ally be the winner in the power competition between the two blocs. The underdeveloped peoples do not care whether Russia or the West wins. The question to them is: Which of the two competing ways of life—liberal democratic or Communistic— can be more useful to the majority of the human race? Democ racies, even established ones, seem generally to feel a lack of the right kind of citizen; the dire famine of effective citizens in the underdeveloped world makes the problem of democratic leadership especially acute there. An authoritarian regime requires fewer effective citizens to operate efficiently. Yet, liberal democracy has been the first choice of emerging coun tries, and interim regimes similar to the recent Pakistan ex periment in so-called basic democracy may suggest a possible course for teaching self-government to politically and econom ically backward people.—Ed.