The Peruvian episode is a warning notice of the extent to which ideology is replacing policy in the conduct of our country’s foreign relations. There has been nothing like it in our past history. An ideology—any ideology— is a poor guide to political action, because ideology proceeds from abstractions that have cut loose from reality. Serious policy, in contrast, always takes into account the realities of geography, history, power, interest, security. When the ideologue is in power, his aim is to compel events to conform to his preconceived system of ideas. The usual result, as in this Peruvian case, is stupidities and confusion, which lead on to social revolution, blood and terror when the ideologue’s Ego is on the scale of a Robespierre, Lenin or Hitler.
No one should be surprised to discover at the center of the Peruvian farce a cluster of pedigreed ideologues bred in the kennels of Americans for Democratic Action. As field commander in Lima, masquerading as. ambassador, there was James Loeb, one of ADA’s initiators, long-time ADA co-chairman, all-out civil righter, welfarer, racial integrator, coexister, Red China recognizer, etc. etc. Back at headquarters was a yipping yardful of his litter-mates: Arthur Schlesinger Jr., Walt Rostow, Richard Goodwin, Chester Bowles and the other ribbon-winners of the self-entitled Non-Communist Left.
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