American Friends Service Committee Part 18 of 33
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l 18 PEACE IN VIETNAM , ~ __";-¢...L.i»=. 7 neutraiist government that he had been trying for so iong to estab- lish, from 1956 to 1958 it had openly undertaken to subvert and "'_,,-!.?,' .1._~ | topple his government by supporting the right-wing {actions under General Phoumi Nosovan. The Thai government, which joined the United States in backing Phoumi Nosovan. has continued to oppose the establishment of a neutralist Laos. This has not made Souvanna Phoumas subsequent efforts any easier. Whatever the settlement in Vietnam, the several ethnic components of Laos are likely to gravitate in the same directions they did prior to their I artiticiai administrative unication by France. Clearly the force of nationalism in the countries of Southeast Asia does not justify any simple domino-theory" approach in United States policy toward that area. The power of this national- ism will remain the watchful guardian of political independence, -- »92~ ;??.' "~- poised against any hint of outside interferencewhether from __" V.-J A", ? China or the United States. As long as Southeast Asian govern- . -A-. -- . ments are in harmony with their countries nationalism and so long as they prove capable, wise, and strong enough to institute _ _ 92 -I - -- . V -. - .- s" :.~=:-r 1- a r.*",: ._ ¢'=!""<~v'»-' » -.<. =- .- .'-.-;: =1-_I the basic reforms necessary to meet the most pressing socioeco- y . n .92- _., w - :.f-;';- _.r-I J " V, - .-92-f_§:'.-?,%.j_*7 ~ ~ A 3 ;.,";=_~ - L7-E1 nomic demands of their peoples, indigenous Communist leaders are likely to encounter little success. .. ~~ 7 "|92:é.:I A -, -1- 1 How well is the United States relating to these demands for I.!~ _=.:~=_"--. ;_Q__=_»~,:;,M -,~"-t '>,,- L _ ,_;:-- pp--7,]; .51 _y_;;.;=i;|.k:~t__'._~; ;.*,;;;4r=-gr;',- .__.__5_.£,-B-7_f_92g;ri'-";y;=35} >.:_;,,_-,- "|4:'I,*ue<'|s.""l$::|i'--Iirki-'f¢5-'.92'lZ'1s'i»-$' §;.__~_;;E_,}-_£,} »;;;.%;1."- 1 social revolution and thereby contributing to the security and sta- bility of the newly emerging nations of Southeast Asia? f .~;1 ' I 1 I H 1 , £1-I""15_ i} _ I _ _l 92 Mr fl 1 -iv-xi Y I -1 '<- . V .92 . e - ~- » -_ ,5.92 . ' L . "_".,H .-. n I II _ . - I - M fa: 1 E. V _ .__ -,.,..__'_._ _iv; - %,~._»;.'_ 55" 7- - t-r~ =.E"' 22/ 2-;i>-- e=" ~ " ~ -av 3: The Need For Socioeconomic __ ;- Fl p'_____e_:Q Changein SoutheastAsia Too often, in the complexities ofthe Vietnam situation itscli we forget that since World War II a greater percentage ofthl .-,i .-T -».- »-7 ..-- - I -4_f»_e-."-l'!>."";l.l-!H.7.---Z-. - r- ..;.=;- .<.~,.»h.~92. .92' _. " ">;*.':'~.-.. r wor1ds wealth has become concentrated in the hands of a smalle V;~ '- . - I-.92.92.---"-c.-rm:3 _.-_'--,,. ~-92 "..- 2'-~».-w _.-V-1,1-._'_,A 1 .?92-1' .. 1;,-'2 percentage ofthe earthspopulation thanever before.Althougl . - - .- - 92 -'.-1=~--92-=r-,-92,.;=-1.." . t .92".,-3-. 1 _,'-.1r;1",'-.-.~._i. 4 . - . r, I p Q3"-3-_-.'.-";=-"Si 92 there hasbeen someabsolute increase inproduction in the pre .= t. ; , ; -i .' -K.-..-..4;-, . ~ .1-fa;'- _ F 1 -'.i_-".-_».-<'_'5-,§_i:--=2dominantly agrariancountries of eastern Asia,the increasei ,~'-=*¢4ta»'-=--'---' => .1.7 wtu=J ~-mu-M---~-.~ --5*.~a=t.~'=ee;:er1§»hA_a5.u¢ir'--*J.Kh""~=.=,--.' =_-~ -»" .-.:-ti.-I» 1 " >1w.'£.§-._...l--=l:.=-1"; =' 924u92.11 small comparedwith therapid growthin populationand therisini expectations ofan increasinglyaware populace.Paul Marti: I Canada's Secretaryof Statefor ExternalAffairs, outlinedthe gen eral problemin a speech given in Cleveland,Ohio, in Septembe 1964: . In thedecade from 1950 to 1960the countriesof theunderdevelopd world were able to increase their production of goods and service r from $110 billion to just under $170 billion. This means thatat th beginning ofthe decadeas at the end of it, these countriesaccounte for only three-tenths ofall the goods and services producedin th free world as a whole. Over the same period the total population c these countries increased from one thousand million to thirteen hur dred million people. Thatis a rate almost twiceas high as that exp: rienced in the advancedcountries of the free world. Whenthe growt _: » . - ' -L of production is discountedby the growth of population, wend th: 1 _ *-37:? x "ail the less developed countrieswere able to increase their averagept 1*." . :3 k 19 '" ._-._......;-= -- _-Y-~~ . ='.-1 ; E-. -;-,-1, ,92 Imp ' -'-" < -.17 .- ..___.;: - 20 PEACE INBVIETNAM -. capita incomeover thedecade byno morethan $25,from $105in 1950 to $130 in 1960. In other words per capita income in these countries roseby a mere $2.50 a year. What is more signicant is 1; .| . ~*z__:_:-_: that during this ten-yearperiod, the gap betweenstandards ofliving - ,." .. 311,5;- - . ._ . ._ >-; in these countries and standards of living in the advanced countries . i i. widened in both absolute and relative terms. Naturally conditionsof livelihood and economicgrowth in the underdeveloped countriesof Asia vary from country to country and Lrom men to men countries. The situation in Thailand ,#_ and Burma with their general rice surplus is clearly better than that of India, wherefood shortagesare approachingcatastrophic proportions. Alsothe richdelta areaof southernThailand presents Q =5, a dierent picture from that oi its impoverished northeast. But ; .-- 1_, 1 .-- - 1. " 1* ii these are relative differences and temporary advantages. In none .1 . _ - .,_!: 1-.92- 92 oi these count-es hasa modern economy developed.In varying ai degrees theyall are dominated bytraditional patternsof agrarian subsistence economy.Land is the essentialelement ofwealth, and _ ~ .7 ..-. .,_ what little private capital is accumulatedis usually investedin - :-: l * .. _ ._ .¢i':.;:'- buying moreland, in usury, orin commodity speculation. Seldom .v '.,-~,.___.r_~"_; .. .'_-.-L'92._L',:,;_<.F_',_, ' -.~.'-- . is it put to work as productive capitalbeyond makingminimal _ 1 .,_ . _ ,,, .: _",_',_+,.~~ _y,-,:-;-;,_.° improvements inland or processing techniques. '3. 4. .- 3 7" -*1-'~-'>"';i.":.:* :';:*.'..§'.f:§;f%'7£i3'.;*..-'75..14%;? 1-mi!-».>l~~.-_;,,.-,_~..j _- ..1:.1-"-'i~,-1 1.. 1-...:;@ '£.§'>-*-ii ,--i Q-".'°=.'-ll..;¥. 1.. " .-..-s.":~.;:'<-lI'i~.-ii-."*,>,.'ei1s;-.'2~*Ei""'- ,3. -';;;~ The precedingchapter showedthat nationalismis the prime moverin the emancipation fromcolonial rule. The need andde- mand ior socioeconomic innovationaccompanies nationalismand becomes moreinsistent as time goes by. It must necessarily be a dominant preoccupationof any new national government. The United States must learn to deal with this and welcome its con- .: . aw . W J structive aspects. In remarks to editors and broadcasters attending a national foreign policyconference inWashington onApril 21, 1964, Presi- dent Johnson said: Poverty, hunger,and diseaseare alictions as old as man himself. But in our time and in this agethere hasbeen a change. The change is not so much in the realities of life, but in the hopes and expecta- tions of the future. If a peaceful revolution inthese areasis impossible, e violent revolution is inevitable. _ 1 , I 1 VitalSpeeches the OctoberDay. of 1965, 31. I5, p. p . =h924-2 _. _.-_ _ .1- 92 ii e...#_, _ _ ._. nnsn non SOCIOECONOMIC crumcn IN SOUTI-LEAST ASIA 21 Q-~ - - . _ ~ - ' ->. _- .r- ,-9. ,5 -i -.-ow However, in facing this problem, jilst as in facing the question -- _- . --.'=.: . .__ -" - _ =,< 'I.:~_-'--1 ' 1 92 i ' .92 -" of nationalism in Southeast Asia, the United States governrnerit 92= rs-, " . -J '- = 3 , . 4- - ~ -. --7 '. ' 'I.-:i'92 , _ . .;. "la--_.f. :;_..!;. 33:.- -_.;r-.,;,, =3, has consistently guided its activities with an overriding concern ;';-.;_ - -ta? L, a E 1.-2?-if-:"'~.; -.1 to stop Communism." In order to deal with the demands for socioeconomic revolution and also contain Communism, Wash- ington has evolved a two-prongecl approach: economic assistance and military assistance with special emphasis on counterinsurgency programs. This approach is based in part on theories of economic growth propoimded by Walt W. Rostow, now chairman of the State Department Policy Planning Council. According to Mr. Rostow, there are several stages in the transition from the tradi- tional agrarian economy to modern industrialism with its high mass consumption. At the beginning this transition is a slow process requiring the accumulation of vast amounts of capital. When sui- cient capital has been accumulated or poured into the country . 1 from the outside, its economy reaches a take-o stage. At this K. point the various elements of the economy---capital accumulation, --,92 - _- >--- -~. :='s'.-"_92-_- .»_-¢,_--"I-3;-»~_-¢,<--~_--r_¢-¢r-92_-;.»n~-.=.7,,,-ts. ..,,,s,N,.-_' 92 =, ~ '_~;w.;:_1,i.= _--.:"_-'-.»q'~.c_-_-entrepreneurial drives, labor skills, technology-all accelerate j ;'< 1 rv-'4-_-s-. -.=.".r;.. 3.-1 ;=,1.. -r!? r>v~:.-.n--1,1.-. _.= . , . ,=. -;.=..". ,92' as, M rapidly, thus leading to a stage of self-sustaining growth. Then the .2 . ~ .;..- - .,,~. .--.. '.".. J- .. .-'..'.-. :r,:' . ,-";~"' ' -..-_.. '. -- -5, ..Jj-I',1.I"'= an " ' _" country is well on its way toward the development of a modern - E: industrial society.