Bear-Baiting

Whatever the explanation given for the intra-Communist conflict, it is customary to add a ritual concluding statement to the effect that “the differences within the Communist bloc offer promising opportunities for exploitation by the Free World.” Maybe so, but in point of fact, only one mode of exploitation has so far been attempted: détente with the Soviet Union. The reasoning is simplicity itself. 1) The conflict is basically a national split between Russia and China. 2) The issue between them is basically peaceful coexistence (Russia) vs. revolutionary struggle (China). 3) We seek peaceful coexistence and want to resist or negate revolutionary struggle. 4) Therefore, we ought to be friendly and helpful to Russia.

The first two premises are false and the third confused, however, and the conclusion therefore groundless. The conflict is basically not a split between nations but a factional split within the Communist enterprise; the national split does indeed exist and widen, but is in the last analysis derivative from the factional split. And there is no issue concerning “revolutionary struggle” between the contending factions; both of them approve of and conduct revolutionary struggle toward the common goal of the destruction of “capitalist” (i.e., non-Communist) society.

Whatever the explanation given for the intra-Communist conflict, it is customary to add a ritual concluding statement to the effect that “the differences within the Communist bloc offer promising opportunities for exploitation by the Free World.” Maybe so, but in point of fact, only one mode of exploitation has so far been attempted: détente with the Soviet Union. The reasoning is simplicity itself. 1) The conflict is basically a national split between Russia and China. 2) The issue between them is basically peaceful coexistence (Russia) vs. revolutionary struggle (China). 3) We seek peaceful coexistence and want to resist or negate revolutionary struggle. 4) Therefore, we ought to be friendly and helpful to Russia.

The first two premises are false and the third confused, however, and the conclusion therefore groundless. The conflict is basically not a split between nations but a factional split within the Communist enterprise; the national split does indeed exist and widen, but is in the last analysis derivative from the factional split. And there is no issue concerning “revolutionary struggle” between the contending factions; both of them approve of and conduct revolutionary struggle toward the common goal of the destruction of “capitalist” (i.e., non-Communist) society.