338 Caver Comment Anti designbyConstantineNivola 338 "Revolution"inFrance,by -Capitalist GeloandAndrea 3 4 1 ConscientiousObjectionisBankrupt,by DonEltonSmith 3 4 5 Commonnonsense,byNiccoloTucci 3 4 6 MaidenFlight,byRalphManheim 3 4 7 PicketingandtheLaw,byWiliamPetersen 3 5 0 PopularCulture NotesonMassCulture,byEuropean 3 5 3 Eisenstein's"Ivan,"byD.M. 3 56 FreeandEqual 3 5 7 ScientificMethod elPoliticalAction,by JamesBlish 3 5 3 NewRoads:DiscussionbyMarshalHodgson. . 359 Boks 361 SixthReportonPackages 3 6 2 TheInteligenceOfice 3 6 4 Politicking 367 C01118111elite TheTruth I t istimethatsomeonestatedthetruth AboutU.N. abouttheUnitedNations,nowgetting underwayagainnotfarfromhere.The liberalweekliesconsecratespecialissuestothis"last,besthope" ofthedemocraticpeacelovingpeoplesoftheworld;thedaily pressgivesuscolumnsofeyewitnessreportsonthesmile(or wasitasmirk?)observedonthefaceofMolotovatacertain pointinarecentdebate;thePresidentoftheUnitedStates "WARNSUNDELEGATESWARFEAREXAGGER- ATED";theCommiteeforNon-ViolentRevolutionpicketsa U.N.luncheonwithplacardsdenouncingitasacoverforim- perialistwar. Althesereactionsappeartomeexcessive.TheU.N.isnot aparliamentofpeacelovingpeoples;it isnotanarenaof history-in-the-making;itisnotevenwhattheCNVRpickets thinkit is:awayoflullingthemaseswithtalkofpeace whilewarispreparedbehindthescenes.It is,quitesimply, abBo e re fo . redenouncingthisasthejudgmentofanintellectual snob,thereadershouldconsultthenewspaperreportsofthe reactionofthepeopleofNewYorkthemasses,ifyou please—tothe96-carcavalcadewhichboretheU.N.dele- gatesfromtheBaterytoCityHal fortheoficialwelcoming ceremony.Thepeopleinthestreetswere"politebutnotably unenthusiastic";notornpaperortickertapefluttereddown fromtheWallStreetskyscrapers;thecrowdswere"insignifi- cant"comparedtothosewhichhadturnedouttowelcome NimitzandEisenhower.Soapathetic,indeed,wasthepublic responsethatthepresidentofU.N., in hisspeechatCity Hal,feltobligedtonotethatthereception"wasnotquite asenthusiasticaswecouldhavewishedfor."Everybody cheeredup,however,afterthenextevent:aluncheoninthe grandbalroomoftheWaldorf-Astoria,wherea"distinBtedilendinfharceichtoumuchmorecordialatmosphere." polities Allofwhichgoestoshow,ashasbeenoftenobservedinthese pages,howmuchmoreinteligentpeoplewhocannotaffordto pay$12aplateforluncharethanthosewhocan.Alsohow muchsmarter,insomeways,theaveragecitizen(or, ifyou prefer,"themasses")isthanmostofusintellectuals,whoget soaccustomedtoreactingtoabstractconceptswhichis whattheU.N.isthatweforgettoaskwhetherthereis anythingmuchunderneath. ThereasontheU.N.isboringisthatitisanextremeex- ampleofthekindofabstractiontheproletarianrevolution isanotherwhichmeansnothingonewayoranothertoany specifichumanbeing.Asthougha"nation"(i.e.,140Americans,includingmyself)werenotmeaninglessenough,now wehavealotofindividuals"representing"thegovernments which"represent"thenations.Thedelegatestothisfiction supermi posedontwootherfictionsappeartobeasboredand impotentandbaffledastherestofusare.TheU.N.shows whyitisdifficultforaradicaltodaytoplacehimselfinrelationtointernationalafairs,ortoanykindofthoughtorac- tionwhichgoesbeyondhisownpersonalexperience,whether as:anintelectuallivinginNewYorkCityoramemberofa cooperativegroupfarmingsomeacresinGeorgia.Speakingas theformer, IcannotseethattheU.N.iseitherahopeora menace;justabore. TheFrench Whilethepressdevoteditsfrontpages 5-Year Plan toU.N.trivia,itdiditsusualjobofburyingsignificantnewsinthebackpages. Tworeportsarespecialyinterestinginthelightofthe analysis,elsewhereinthisissue,oftheFrenchnationalization proAgPra amris . dispatchinthe N. Y. Times ofOct.16: "Whatisprobablythemostcomprehensiveanddetailedplan everputtogethertoguideanon-totalitarianeconomyisnear- ingcompletionintheGovernment'sFrenchGovernment's planningcommission.Ultimatelytoefecttheutilizationof 18to20percentofthenationalincome,theplanknown astheMonnetPlanafterJeanMonnet,chairmanofthecom- mission—wilsetspecificobjectivesforallofFrance'smajor industriesandforexportandimporttradeoverfiveyears. [Whydoeconomicplannersalwaysthinkintermsofjustfive years?Whynotfourorsixever?Isitthat,forculturaland psychologicalreasons,weseeSasthefirstmajorstoppingplaceafter1?Oristhereintherealeconomicworldafive-year rhythm?—n.m.]Thekeyto¿heprogramisaplanforfive basicindustries:steel,transport,coal,cementandelectricity. "TheFrenchpeoplewillbeconfrontedwiththeunpleasant choiceofgivinguptheirtraditionalatitudetowardmodern polities VOLUME3,No.10(WholeNo.33)NOVEMBER,1946 Editor:DwightMacdonald BusinessManagers:BerthaGruner,NancyMacdonald POLITICSispublishedmonthlyat45AstorPlace, NewYork3,N. Y., byPoliticsPublishingCo.Telephone:GRamercy3-1512. Subscription$3.50foroneyear,$6fortwoyears.Add 30eayearforCanada,50cayearforallotherforeign countries.Singlecopy:35e.Mostbackissuesarestill avCai o lapby lerig . htNovember,1946,byPoliticsPublishingCo. Enteredassecond-classmatterMarch16,1944,atthe postoficeatNewYork,undertheActofMarch3,1879. 71
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