U.S. China Policy: Freud + Santa Claus

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>Date: Thu, 07 Dec 2000 17:55:15 -0600
>To: marxism at lists.panix.com
>From: Saul Thomas <stthomas at midway.uchicago.edu>
>Subject: U.S. China Policy: Freud + Santa Claus
>
>This is from an article ("An Exchange") by James Peck which appeared 
>in vol 2 (1970) issue 3 of the Bulletin of Concerned Asian Scholars. 
>Part of the article describes three approaches to understanding and 
>dealing with China and other Third World countries undertaken by 
>U.S. scholars and policy makers: "containment", "nation building", 
>and the "totalitarian" approach. What follows is Peck's description 
>of the "nation building" approach.
>
>-------------------------
>The reverse side of the containment policy was the "total 
>penetration" approach to foreign affairs, "diplomacy in depth." 
>Assist the elites of "underdeveloped" countries to "modernize" their 
>societies, demand "reforms" that undercut the appeal of 
>revolutionaries, and link such nations with the "international 
>community." Then revolutionary solutions and "communists" will lose 
>their appeal. It was, in essence, the Freud plus Santa Claus concept 
>of foreign relations. Persuade countries that underdevelopment was 
>sui generis to the society instead of part of a world system which 
>sustains it or an immediate American presence which reinforces it. 
>And then portray a benevolent, gift-giving U.S. bestowing technical 
>assistance for the benefit of others. (pp.60-61)