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CHE GUEVARA: socialism and man
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Introduction
This work of Che's hes not, unfortunctely, been available for some time. In making it availeble, the Internctional Marxist Group (Fourth Internat— ional) felt it was important that Che Guevara's views on the wider questions of socialism should be known. | 7
In this essay, Che shows the broadness of vision and the deep humanism of the founders of scientific socialism. It is no accident that the man who could write these words was the man who gave his life for revolution in the Bolivien jungle. Che was the complete revolutionary who welded together theory and practice. In complete contrast to stalinist dogmatisis, for Che Marxism was an inspiring cnd creative tool for bringing about revolution today and the man of the 2ist century tomorrow.
We hope that this modest pamphlet will be read far and wide and be an introduction to Che's thinking to thousands in Britain who have been inspired by his political example.
KEELE EEE KKH HEE HHH HEHE
CHE GUaV.RA SPik
Merit Publishers, New York, announced on December 6th, 1967, that Che Guevara Speaks, a 159-page collection of speeches, statements, interviews and letters by the heroic revolutionary leader would be published shortly. The topics include the Cuban revolution, problems of revolutionary ideology, guerrilla warfare, economic planning, imperialism, the colonial revolution, selection of revolutionary cadres, the "Alliance for Progress", trade and other relations between industrialised ond underdeveloped nations and the transformation of man under socialism.
The book will cost 16/64 (i/- extra for postage and pecking) and will be available in January, 1968, from Pioneer Book Service, 8, Toynbee St., London E.l. | ,
This samphlet is published by: International Marxist Group, 8, Toynbee St., London EH. 1. and produced by voluntary labour.
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Notes on Socialism and Man |
By Che Guevara
last name -—- and the triumph or failure of the misthis article was translated by Gerald Paul from the July f issue of the Mexican radieal btweek diy. sion entrusted to him depended on his capacity for Politica. 7t was awritten by Che Guevara during his action, trip through Africa in the form of a letter to. Carlos Then came the stage of guerrilla struggle It Quijane of the Uruguayan independent readicci developed in two distinct elements, the people, the still tceekly Marcha. sleeping mass which if was necessary to mobilize: and its vanguard, the guerrillas, the moter force of the movement, the generator of revolutionary Though belatedly, [ am completing these notes consciousness and militant enthusiasm. It was this in the course of my trip through Africa, fioping in vanguard, this catalyzing agent, which created the fhis way toa keep my promise. [would tke ta do se subjective conditions necessary for victors. by dealing with the theme set forth im the abore Iiere again, in fhe course of the process of protitle. I think it may be of interest to Uruguayan letarianizing our thinking, in this revolution which readers. ieok place in wur habits and our minds, the indi- A common argument from the mouths of capividual was the basic factor. very one of the fighttalist spokesmen, in the ideological slruggle against ers of the Sierra Maestra who reached an upper socialism, is that socialism, or the period af buildrank in the revolutionary forces has a record of fz socialism inta which we have entered. is charoutstanding deeds to his credit. Thev attained their ueterized by the subordination of the individual to rauk on this basis. 1 was the first heroic period and the state. | wilh not try to refute this argument solely in it they contended for the heaviest responsibilities, on theoretical grounds, but |} will try to establish for the greatest dangers, with no other satisfaction the facts as they exist in Cuba aud then add comthan fulfilling a duty. nents of a general nature. Let me begin by sketch- Inour work of revolutionary education we frequenting the history of our revolutionary struggle before Iv return to this instructive theme. In the attitude and after the taking of power: of our fighters could be viimpsed the man of the As is well known, the exact date on which the future. revolutionary struggle began — which would culmi- Qn other oceasions in vur history the aet of tolal nate January Ist, 1959 — was the 26th of July, 1953. dedication ta the revolutionury cause wus repeated. “A group of men commiunded by Fidel Castro at- During the October crisis and in the days of Hurritucked the Moncada barracks in Oriente Provinee on cane Flora we saw exceptional deeds of valor and the morning of that day. The attack was a failure: ‘sacrifice performed by an entire people. Finding the the failure became u disaster: and ihe survivors ended formula to perpetuate this heroic attitude in daily up in prison, beginning the revolutionary strugyle life is, from the ideological standpoint, one of our again after they were freed by an amnesty. fundamental tusks, In this stage. in which there was only the germ at sochulism, min was the basic factor. We put our In fanuary 1959 the Revolutionary Government trust in him — individual, specific. with a first and was established with the participation of various
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Vibrations provoke stil newer noise. Fide. smc um members of the treacherous bourpeuisie, The existence mass begin to vibrate together in u diaivogue of grow of the Rebel Army as the basic factor of force coning intensity until they reach the climax in an abrup stituted the guarantee of power.
Serious contradictions developed subsequently, In conclusion culminating ins our ery of struggle anc the first instance, in February 1959, these were revictory. he difficult thing for someone not living the ex solved when Fidel Castro assumed leadership of the perience of the revolution to understand is this clos government with the post of Prime Minister, This stage culminated in July of the same year with the dialectical unity between the individual and the mass in which the mass, as an ageregate of individuals resignation under mass pressure of President Urrutia. ‘There now appeared in the history of the Cuban is interconnected with its leaders.
Some phenomena of this kind can be seen unde Revolution a force with well-defined characteristics which would systematically reappear — the mass. capitalism, when politicians capable of mobilizin; This many faceted agency is not, us is claimed, popular opinion appear, but these phenomena ar the -sum of units of the self-same type, behaving net really genuine social movements. (If they were like a tame flock of sheep, and reduced, moreover, it would not be entirely correct to call them capi talist.) ‘These movements only live as Jong as th to that type by the system imposed from above. It is true that it follows its leaders, basically Fidel persons who inspire them, or until the harshness o Castro, without hesitation; but the degree to which capitalist society puts an end to the popular illu he won this trust corresponds precisely to the degree sions which made them possible. that he interpreted the people’s desires and aspira- U'nder capitalism man is controlled by «# pitiles tions correctly. and to the deyree that he made a code of laws which are usually beyond his com sincere effort to fulfill the promises he made. : prehension. The alienated humun individual is tie ‘The mass participated in the agrarian reform and to society in its aggregate by an invisible umbilica cord — the law of value. It is operative in all aspect in the difficult task of the administration of state enterprises; it went through the heroic experience of his life, shaping its course and destiny.
The laws of capitalism, invisible and blind to th of Playa Giron; it was hardened in the battles against various bands of bandits armed by the CLA; it lived majority, act upoh the individual without his think through one of the most ‘important decisions of ing about it. He sees only the vastness of u seem modern times during the Octeber crisis; and today ingly infinite horizon before him. That is how it i it continues to work for the building of socialism. painted by capitalist propagundists who purport te draw a lesson from the example of Rockefeller - Viewed superficially, it might appear that those whe speak of the subordination of the individual whether or not it is true — about the possibilities o to the state are right. The mass carries out with SUCCESS, : matchless enthusiasm and discipline the tasks set The amount of poverty and suffering required fo whether economic in character, by the government, the emergence of a Rockefeller, und the amount o cultural, defensive, athletic, or whatever. depravity that the accumulation of a fortune of sue!
The initiative generally comes from Fidel or from magnitude entails, are left out of the picture and ji the Revolutionary High Command, and is explained is not always possible to make the people in genera to the people wha adopt it as theirs. In some cases see this. (A discusston af hoit the workers in the impertatis the party and povernment utilize a local experience which may be of general value to the people, and countrics are losing the spirit of working-class inter follow the same procedure. nationalism due toa certain degree of complicity i Nevertheless, the state sometimes makes mistakes. the exploitation of the dependent countries, and hor When one of these mistakes occurs, a decline in colthis weakens the conhatioity of the masses in th lective enthusiasm is refiected by a resulling quantiimperialist countries, would be appropriate here; bu tutive decrease of the contribution of eath individual, that is a theme which goes heyond the aim of thes each of the elements forming the whole of the masses. rates, ) Work is so paralyzed that insignificant quantitics are produced. It is time to make a correction. ‘That The Individual Defined is what happened in March 1962 as a result of the sectarian policy imposed on the party by Aniba! Escalante.
In any case the road to success is pictured as ons Clearly this mechanism is not adequate for inbeset with perils but one which, it would seem, ar suring wu succession of judicious measures. A more individual with the proper qualities can overcome structured connection with the masses is needed and to attain the goal, The reward is seen in the distance we must improve it in the course of the next yeurs. the way is loneiy. Further it is a route for wolves But as far as initiatives originating in the upper one can succeed only at the cost of failure to others strata of the vovernment are concerned, we are I would now like tu try to define the individual presenuy utilizing the almost Intuitive methed of the actur in this strange and moving drama of thi sounding out general reactions to the great probbuilding of sucialism, in his dual existence as < “ems we confront. unique being and as a member of society. im this Fidel is a muster, whose awn special wav J think it makes the most sense to recognize his ef fusing himself with the people can be appreciated quality of incompleteness, of being an unfinishec amas oO. 0 seeing him in action.
At the great public _ product. She sermons of the past have been trans 234 mevtings one can observe something like a posed to the present in the individual consciousnes: fc urterpeotnt between two musical melodies whose and a continual laber is necessary to eradicate them
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stimuli; but for them to retain their effect requires. The process is two-sided: On tne one side, society acts the development of a consciousness in which there through direct and indirect education; on the other, is a new priority of values. Society as a whole must the individual subjects himself to a process of conbe converted into a gigantic school. scious self-education.
In ‘rough outline this phenomenon is similar to The new society being formed has to compete fiercethe process by which capitalist consciousness was. ly with the past. The latler makes itself felt in the formed in its initial epoch. Capitalism uses force but . consciousness in which the residue of an education it also educates the people to its system. Direct systematically oriented towards isolating the indipropaganda is carried out by those entrusted with vidual still weighs heavily, and also through the explaining the inevitability of class society, either very character of the transitional period in which through some theory of divine origin or through a the market relationships of the past still persist. ‘The mechanical theory of natural selection. commodity is the economic cell of capitalist society; ‘This lulls the masses since they see themselves as so long as it exists its effects will make themselves being oppressed by an evil against which it is imfelt in the organization of production and, consepossible to struggle. Immediatety following comes quently, in consciousness. hope of improvement — and in this, capitalism dif- Marx outlined the period of transition as a period fered from the prececing caste systems which offered which results from the explosive transformation of the capitalist system of a country destroyed by its no possibilities for advancement.
For some people, the ideology of the caste system own contradictions. However in historical reality we will remain in effect: The reward for the obedient afhave seen that some countries, which were weak ter death is to be transported to some fabulous other limbs of the tree of imperialism, were torn off first world where in accordance with the old belief good «a phenomenon foreseen by Lenin. people are rewarded. For other peopie there is this In these countries capitalism had developed to a innovation: The division of society is predestined, degree sufficient to make its effects felt by the people but through work, initiative, etc., individuals can .in one way or another; but, having exhausted all rise out of the class to which they belong. its possibilities, it was not its internal contradictions These two ideologies and the myth of the self-made which caused these systems to explode. The strugman have to be profoundly hypocritical: -They convle for liberation from a foreign oppressor, the misery sist in self-interested demonstrations that the lie of caused by external events like war whose consepermanent class divisions is a truth. quences make the privileged classes bear down more in our case direct education acquires a much greatheavily on the oppressed, liberation movements aimed er importance. The explanation is convincing because aut the overthrow of neo-colonial regimes.— these are it is true; no subterfuge is needed. It is carried on by the usual factors in- this kind of explosion. Conscious the state's educational apparatus as a function of action does the rest.
In these countries a complete education for social | general, technical and ideological culture through such agencies as the Ministry of Education and the labor has not yet taken place and wealth is far from party's informational apparatus. being within the reach of the masses, simply through Education takes hold of the masses and the new the process of appropriation. Underdevelopment on attitude tends to become a habit; the masses continue the one hand, and the inevitable flight of capital on to absorb it and to influence those who have not yet the other, make a rapid transition impossible without educated themselves. This is the indirect form of edusacrifices. There remains a long way te go in concating the masses, as powerful as the other. structing the economic base, and the temptation tu follow the beaten track of material interest as the Shaping of the New Man moving lever of accelerated development is very preat.
There is the danger that the forest won't be seen But the process is a conscious one; the individual for the trees. Following the will-o’-the-wisp method continually feels the impact of the new social power of achieving socialism with the help of the dull inand perceives that he docs not entirely measure up struments which link us to capitalism (the commadity to its standards. Under the pressure of indirect eduas the economic cell, profitability, individual material cation, he tries to adjust himself to a norm which interest as a lever, etc.) can lead into a blind alley. he feels is just and which his own lack of develop- Further, you get there after having traveled a long ment had prevented him from reaching theretofore. distance in which there were many crossroads and He educates himself.
In this period of the building of socialism we can it ts hard to figure out just where it was that you took the wrony turn. The economic foundation which sec the new man being born.. His image is not yet has been formed has already done its work of uncompletely finished — it never could be — since the dermining the development of consciousness. To build process goes forward hand in hand with the develcommunism, you must build new men, as well as the opment of new economic forms.
Leaving out of consideration those whose lack of new economic base.
Hence it is very important to choose currectly the education makes them take the solitary road toward satisfying their own personal ambitions, there are instrument for mobilizing the masses. Basically, this those, even within this new ._panorama of a unified instrument must be moral! in character, without neglecting, however, a correct ulilization of the mamarch forward, who have a tendency to remain terial stimulus — especially of a social character. isolated from the masses accompanying them. But what is important is that everyday men are continu- As 1 have already said, in moments of great peril it is easy to muster a powerful response to moral ing to acquire more consciousness of the need for
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their incorporation into society and at the same time, of their importance as the movers ofsodety.
They no jonger travel completely done ever trackiss routes toward distant desire. They Colow their the art anced vanguard. consisting of the party, workos, the advanced men who walk in uit with the masses and in close communion with them. The vanguard hat is cree fxed on te future mond lis rewards, but this le not seen as something personat. men will v.hich The reward is the new sodey in have alashed new features: the society of conunurist man.
The road is long and foll of difficulties Ni times we wander from the path and must turn back: at other times we go t00 fast and separate ourselves from the masses: on occasions we go loo slow and feel the hot breath of those treading on our heel. In out zeal as revolationists we try to move ahend as fast as possibie, clearing the way, but knownp we true draw our rostenance from the mass and that I can advance more rapidly only if we inspire it by our example.
Ine fact that there remains a divigion into 1*0 male groups (excluding, of course, the minority for one reason or another m it balding of socallom A despite the toponence given lo moral stimuli, indicates the relative lace of devel opinen of socki cmsciousnore.
The vangund group is edeolutely more ad vanced than the mass; the latter anderstands the bee talues, but not safetedle Wot ameng the former there has been a qualitative change which enables them to make aerifices to carty on their funion as an advann giard the latter po only han fly and nust be subjeced to soch and presures of a That is the dictatorstep of the pri contain intensily letarial operating oei only on the debated class bot also on individuals of the ratorious dot, Al of this mains dant toni success a sortes or mechomisine, of pogelationars pathatons, is breded Vited into the patters of the mollides morenog towards the future is ine concept el a dronede aggregate of channes, stepé, restraints, and emoothly working mechanisme which good fochare too id vance by ensuring te effelent certion of those destined to march in che campuard shah. Whell, he on ihose whe fulfill their duties. d sows rewards punishmenis on these who etempt to obatroci 10e development of the new society- This institutionalizatior ef the coveladon his not vet been achiored. We are making for something which will permit a periedi alentitiention botseen ine government ind the community in its entirely, some specal conditiots of the thing appropriate to de building of socialism, while broiding to the mastmum degre? a mere transplanting at the commonlegislative democracy • Uke places of bourgcois chambers - into the societs in formation.
Some experiments aimed at the graduat develop ment of institutiondlized forms of the revolution have been made. but withon ondue haste. The greatest obstacie has beçn our lear lest any appearance of formality might separate un fom the masses from the individual, might mak? us lost wight of Me ultimate and most important revolutionars aspirafion, which is to see man Gberated from his abena- 10n.
Despite the lack of insoludions which must he are now making corteded gradually: the mosses histor, as a conscious apgregate of individuals Aghting lo: the same cause. Man under socialisa, desplte his apparent standardization, is more complete; de spite the lack of perfect machinery for it bis oppor tunides los expressing himself and making himsel felt in the social organism are infritely preper. Development of Consciousness still necessary to strengthen his conscious I is individual and collective in all participation, mechaniame of management and production, are to link it to the idea of the need for technical and idenlogiest edication so that he sees hour dusly beerdependent these processes are and how their advance. he will reach hotd! this was inen is parallel.
In consciousness of his social funetion, which is equivalent to his full realization as a human being. once the chains of alienation are broken.
This will be translated conered ioto the ignin ins ot his true nature through Mbezoled labor and the expression of his proper human condition through culture and art. to order lot him to derclop in the first of the above a new salts. Man muel ucquire categorien labor dominated by commodity relationchips will rcase lo. exist and a syrem will be rented which erablienes go to lor the fulfilment of his coral doty. The bitar: of producion belong to socety and the niachine »di meree be the ironch where duty is folfiller il begis to ser himeel mirrored in his wors in to salia: his full stature as a human heing ihrough me object created. drough the work acconeplished. Work will no longer entail surrendering a part of bi bone in the form of Jubor-power sold shirt a lone belongs to bim, but will npresent its emanation e himself Which would rofleet his cribedon i: the comramon ble. the faflosent of his social don.
We are dong caecything possible to give labor this new sus of cocal duty and to lina it, on the ime side with the development of a icchology which will create the condions lor creater freedom. and. on the other side, with volumary work based on a Marxist appreciarion of the loet that man truly reaches a full human condion when he produces without being driven by the physieat need to sell his labor of i commody.
Of course mere are other factors involved exen when labor is coloniary: Man has not trensformed all the cocreive factors around him bito conditioned enuencier and he still produces reflexes of a sodal under the pressures of his sodety. (Fidel calls this moral compulsion. y do undergo a complete spiritual still needs Man rebirth in his attitude lowards bis work, treed from the direer prestore of bus social environment though linked lo it be his new habits. That will be contmanism.
The change in consciousness will not take place automatically, just as it doesn't take place automat-
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such honors as a monkey might get for performing cally in the economy. The alterations are slow and pirouettes. The condition that has been imposed is are not harmonious; there are periods of accelerathat one cannot try to escape from the invisible cage. tion, pauses and even retrogressions.
When the revolution took power there was an Furthermore, we must take into account, as ! exodus of those who had been completely house pointed out before, that we are not dealing with a broken; the rest — whether they were revolutionaries, period of pure transition as Marx envisaged it in or not— saw a new road open to them. Artistic his Critique of the Gotha Program but rather with inquiry experienced a new impulse. The paths. howa new phase unforseen by him: an initial period ever, had already been more or less laid out and of the transition to communism or the construction the escapist concept hid itself behind the word “freeof socialism. [t is taking place in the midst of violent dom.” This attitude was often found even among the class struggles and with elements of capitalism within revolutionaries themselves, reflecting the bourgeois it which obscure a complete understanding of its idealism still in their consciousness. essence.
If we add to this the scholaSticism which has hindered the development of Marxist philosophy and Effect of "Socialist Realism” impeded the systematic development of the theory of the transition period, we must agree that we are still In those countries which had gone through a simiin diapers and that it is necessary to devote ourlar process, they tried to combat such tendencies by selves to investigating all the principal characterisan exaggerated dogmatism. General culture was tics of this period before elaborating an economic virtually tabooed and it was declared that the acme and political theory of greater scope.
The resulting theory will, no doubt, put great stress | of cultural aspiration was the formally exact representation of nature. This was later transformed into on the two pillars of the construction of socialism: a mechanical representation of the social reality they the education of the new man and the development wanted to show: the ideal society almast without of technology. There is much for us to do in regard conflicts or contradictions which they sought to create. to both but delay is least excusable in regard to the Socialism is young and has made errors. Many concepts of technology, since here it is not a question times revolutionaries lack the knowledge and intelof going forward blindly but of following over a lectual courage needed to mect the task of developing long stretch of road already opened up by the world's the new man with methods different from the conmore advanced countries. This is why Fidel pounds ventional ones — and the conventional methods suffer away with such insistence on the need for the techfrom the influences of the society which created them. nological training of our people and especially of its (Again we raise the theme of the relationship bevanguard. in the field of ideas not involving productive activitiecen form and content.) ties it is easier to distinguish the division between”
Disorientation is widespread, and the problems of material construction preoccupy us. There are no material and spiritual necessity. For a long time man has been trying to free himself from alienation artists of great authority who, at the same time, have great revolutionary authority. The men of the party through culture and art. While he dies every day during the eight or more hours that he sells his labor, must take this task to hand and seek attainment of the main goal, the education of the people. he comes to life afterwards in his spiritual activities.
But this remedy bears the germs of the same sick- But then they sought simplification. They sought ness; it is as a solitary individual] that he seeks an art that would be understood by everyone — the kind of “art” functionaries understand. True artistic communion with his environment. He defends his oppressed individuality through the artistic medium values were disregarded and the problem of general and reacts to esthetic ideas as a unique being whose culture was reduced to taking some things from the aspiration is to remain unturnished. socialist present and some from the dead past (since dead, not dangerous). Thus Socialist Realism arose All that he is dying, however, is attempting to upon the foundations of the art of the last century. escape. The law of value is not simply a naked But the realistic art of the 19th Century is also a reflection of productive relations: The monopoly class art, more purely capitalist perhaps than this capitalists — even while employing purely empirical decadent art of the 20th Century which reveals the methods — weave around ari a complicated web anguish of alienated man. In the field of culture which converts it into a willing tool. The superstructure of society ordains the type of art in which the capitalism has given all that it had to pive and artist has to be educated. Rebels are subdued by its nothing of it remains but the offensive stench of a decaying corpse, today's decadence in art. machinery and only rare talents may create their Why then should we try to find the only valid own work. The rest become shameless hacks or are crushed. prescription for art in the frozen forms of Socialist A school of artistic "freedom" is created, but its Realism? We cannot counterpose the concept of Sovalues also have limits, even if they are imperceptible cialist Realism to that of freedom, because the latter until we come into conflict with them — that ts to does not yet exist and will not exist until the complete say, until the real problem of man and his alienadevelopment of the new society. Let us not attempt, tion arises. Meaningless anguish and vulgar amusefrom the pontifical throne of realism-at-any-cost, to condemn all the art forms which have evolved since ment thus become convenient safety valves for human anxiety. The idea of using art as a weapon of prothe first half of the 19th Century for we would then test is combatted. fall into the Proudhonian mistake of returning to If one plays by the rules, he gets all the honors: the past, of putting a straitjacket on the artistic ex-
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admission into it. It is a minority bul it has grea pression of the man who is Heing born and is in the authority because of the quality of its cadres. Our process of making himself, What is needed is the development of an ideologiaspiration is that the party will become a mass par ty, but only when the masses have reached the leve eal-cultural mechanism which permits both free inuf the vanguard, that is, when they are educated for quiry and the uprooting of the weeds which multiply so easily in the fertile soil of state subsidies. communism.
Our work constantly aims at this education. Th In our country we don't find the error of mechanieal realism but rather its opposite, and that is so party is the living example; its cadres, should be because the need for the creation of a new man has teachers of hard work and sacrifice. They should leac not been understood, a new man who would represent the masses by their deeds to the completion of th neither the ideas of the 19th Century nor those of revolutionary task which involves years of hare our own decadent and morbid century. struggie against the difficulties of construction, class What we must create is the man of the 2ist Cenenemies, the sicknesses of the past, imperialism, . tury, although this is still a subjective and not a Now 1 would like to explain the role played by; realized aspiration. It is precisely this man of the personality, by man as the individual leader of th next century who is one of the fundamental! objecmasses which make history. This has been our ex tives of our work and, to the extent that we achieve perience; it is not a prescription. concrete successes on a theoretical plane — ur vice Widel pave the revolution its impulse in the firs versa -- to the extent we draw theoretical conclusions years, and also its leadership. He always strengthenec of a broad character on the basis of oqur concrete it, but there is a good group who are developing research, we shall have made an important conin the same way as the outstanding leader and there tribution to Marxism-Leninism, toe the cause of is a great mass which follows its leaders because humanity. | it has faith in them, and it has faith in them because Keaction against the man of the 19th Century has they have been able to interpret its desires. brought us a relapse into the decadence of the 20th This is not a matter of how many pounds of mea: Century; it is not a fatal error, but we must overcome it, lest we open a breach for revisionism. one might be able‘to eat, nor of how many times & The great multitudes continue to develop; the new year someone can go to the beach, nor how many ideas continue to attain their proper force within ornaments from abroad you might be able to buy society; the material possibilities for the full develwith present salaries. What is really involved is tha opment of ali members of society make the task the individual feels more complete, with much mort much more fruitful. The present is a time for struginternal richness and much more responsibility. gie; the future is ours. ‘The individual in our country knows that the illus To sum up, the fault of our artists and intellectrious epoch in which it was determined that he live tuals lies in their original sin: They are not truly’ is one of sacrifice; he is familiar with sacrifice. The revolutionary. We can try to graft the elm tree so first came to know it in the Sierra Maestra and where that it will bear pears, but at the same time we must ever else they fought; afterwards all of Cuba cam plant pear trees. New generations will come who to know it. Cuba is the vanguard of the America: will be free of the original sin. The probabilities that and must make sacrifices because it occupies the pos great artisis will appear will be greater to the degree of the advanced guard, because it. shows the roac that the field of cullure and the possibilities for exto full freedom to the masses of Latin America. pression are broadened.
Within the country, the leadership has to carry ou Our task is to prevent the present generation, torn asunder by its conflicts, from becoming perverted its vanguard role, and it must be said with all.sin cerity that,.in a real revolution to which one give and from perverting new generations. We must not himself entirely and from which he expects no ma bring into being either docile servants of official terial remuneration, the task of the revolutionary; thought, or scholarship students who live at the exvanguard is at one and the same time glorious ant pense of the state — practicing “freedom.” Already there are revolutionaries coming who will sing the agonizing. song of the new man in the true voice of the people.
At the risk of seeming ridiculous, let me say thal This is a process which takes time. the true revolutionary is guided by a great feeling In our society the vouth and the purty play an of love. It is impossible to think of a genuine revo. important role. jutionary lacking this quality. Perhaps it is one o!
The former is especially important because it is the preat dramas of the leader that he must combine the malleable clay from which the new man can be u passionate spirit with a cold intelligence and make shaped without any of the old faults. The youth is painful decisions without contracting a muscle. Our treated in accordance with our aspirations. Its eduvanguard revolutionaries must idealize this love o! cation steadily grows more full and we are not forthe people, the most sacred cause, and make it one petting about its integration into the labor force from and indivisible. They cannot descend to the level o| the beginning. Our scholarship students do physical the ordinary man’s daily expenditure of sentimentality work during their vacations or along with their studyeven though little. ing. Work is a reward in some cases, a means of The leaders of the revolution have children jus education in others, but it is never a punishment. A beginning to talk who are not learning to call thei new generation is being born. fathers by name; wives from whom they have to be The party is a vanguard organization, The best workers are proposed by their fellow workers for
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tained consciousness of what must be done, men separated as part of the general sacrifice of their who fight to escape from the realm of neeessity and lives to bring the revolution to its fulfillment: the to enter that of freedom. circle of their friends is strictly limited to the number of fellow revolutionists. ‘Chere is no life outside This great throng becomes organized; its clarity of of the revolution. program corresponds to its consciousness of the necessity of organization. it is no longer a dispersed ~ In these circumstances one must have a great deal force divisible into thousands of fragments thrown. of humanity and a strong sense of justice and truth into space like splinters from a hand grenade, trying in order not to fall into extreme dogmatism and cold by any means to achieve some protection against scholasticism, into an isolation from the masses. We an uncertain future, in desperate struggle with their must strive every day so that this love of living _ fellows. humanity will be transformed into actual deeds, into We know that sacrifices lie before us and that we acts that serve as examples, as a moving force. must pay a price for the heroic act of being a van- The revolutionary, the ideological motor force of guard nation. We leaders know that we must pay a the revolution, is consumed by his uninterrupted price for the right to say that we are at the head of activity, which can have no other end than death a people which is at the head of the Americas. Lach until the building of socialism on a world scale has and every one of us must pay his exact quota of been accomplished. If his revolutionary zeal is bluntsacrifice, conscious that he will get his rewurd in the ed when the most urgent tasks are being accomplished satisfaction of fulfilling a duty, conscious that he wisi on a local scale and if he forgets his proletarian inadvance with all toward the image of the new man ternationalism, the revolution which he leads will dimly visible on the horizon. ceise to be an inspiring force and he will sink into Let me attempt some conclusions: a comfortable lethargy which imperialism, our ir- We socialists are freer because we are more comreconcilable enemy, will utilize well. Proletarian interplete; we are more complete because we are freer. nationalism is a duty, but it is also a revolutionary The skeleton of our complete freedom is already necessity, So we educate our people. formed. The flesh and the clothing are lacking. We Of course there are dangers in the present situawill create them. tion, and not only that of dogmatism, not only that Our freedom and its daily maintenance are paid of weakening the ties with the masses in the midst for in blood and sacrifice. . of the great task. There is also the danger of weak- Our sacrifice is conscious: an installment payment nesses, If a man thinks that dedicating his entire life on the freedom that we are building. to the revolution means that he cannot allow his The road is long and in part unknown. We undermind to be disturbed by the fact that his son lacks stand our limitations. We will create the man of the certain things, or that his children’s shoes are worn 2Zist Century — we, ourselves. out, or that his family lacks some necessity, then he We will forge ourselves in daily action, creating a is entering into rationalizations which open his mind | new man with a new technology. to infection by the seeds of future corruption.
Individual personality plays a role in mobilizing in our case we have maintained that our children and ieading the misses insofur as it embodies the should have or should lack those things that the highest virtues and aspirations of the people and children of the average man have or lack, and that does not wander from the path. our families should understand this and strive for It is the vanguard group which clears the way. it. The revolution is made through man, but man the best among the good, the party. must forge his revolutionary spirit day by day.
The basic clay of our work is the youth. We place our hope in them and prepare them to take the ban- Thus we march on. At the head of the immense ner from our hands. column — we are neither afraid nor ashamed to say If this inarticulate letter clarifies anything it has it-—-is Fidel. After him come the best cadres of the accomplished the objective which motivated it, I close party, and immediately behind them, so close that with our greeting. which is as much of a ritual as we feel its tremendous force, comes the people in its a handshake or an "Ave Maria Purissima,” — entirety, a solid mass of individualities moving FATHERLAND OR DEATH ! toward a common goal, individuals who have at-