Vol. 4, No. 2 February 11, 1966 .
LUNA 9 AND "OPERATION MASHER"
.The first successful soft landing on the moon of a rocketed vehicle capable of transmitting back to; earth photographs of the surface in detail down to a fiftieth of an inch marks the opening of a new stage’in the exploration of our solar system.
The experiment can be repeated on the other planets. Before long such seemingly impenetrable mysteries as the exact nature of the surface of the eternally cloud-covered Venus will be solved. Even more exciting possibilities are opened. Unmanned astronomical observatories can be stationed on the moon to record and transmit information about the universe that has been barred to us up to now by the screening effect of our atmosphere. The spokesmen of the capitalist system spoke truly when they grudgingly admitted that the advance scored by the Soviet: Union was an advance for all humanity.
New York, N. Y. 10010. Pi
"The solar system has in reality become mankind's laboratory," was the way the New York Times (February 6) put it.
There was another side to the immense achievement that was not mentioned by the proponents of capitalism, although this is undoubtedly the most astounding feature of all. The success, again testifying to the world lead held by the USSR in this fielc, was achieved by a country that only fifty years ago was notorious for its backwardness, standing far below Great Britain, France and Germany -- not to mention the United States.
The landing of Luna 9 on February 3 was really one more reminder to mankind of the October 1917 Revolution in Russia and the potentialities that were opened up for the country by the overturn of Czarism and the capitalist system. Behind the Soviet scientists stands the planned economy made possiPle by the revolution ted by. Lenin and Trotsky. . a a
The fact that economic planning in the Soviet. Union is hampered by bureaucratic parasitism and lack of proletarian democracy does not alter the conclusion to be drawn. Just the opposite. If such achievements as the Luna 9 feat were made possible in the final analysis by establishment of a planned economy, then planning free from Stalinist malpractices and guided by the collective will of the workers in a free and democratic way, As capable of incomparably — more! a i
While Luna 9 was streaking toward the moon, the American capitalist press was filled with news about a, different, kind ‘of achievement -- the first results of Johnson's order January 31 to ‘resume bombing north Vietnam, and the successes in the daily "kill" of Vietnamese victims in the appropriately named "Operation Masher" in south Vietnam, the biggest foray of American troops yet organized in Vietnam and one that marks a new phase in escalation of the war.
With napalm, high explosives and all the other fiendish devices employed to butcher, tear to shreds or burn alive human beings, the most advanced ‘capitalist ‘country moved ahead methodically in a war of colonial conquest” that differed little in pattern:’from:. those mounted by the older imperialist powers in their time. Even the same sickening terms appear in the press releases issued by the American military commanders '-— "ink Spot" tactics, "pacification" of the countryside... Se a bt TRG |
; Behind the aggression of U-S. “imperialism in Vietnam is “bey be seen the operation of the’ basic "i aws of the capitalist: economic. system. ‘Tike Great Britain, France, Germany, italy and Japan. before it, American capitalism must expand; must seek colonies, must seek: world domination. The need for profits leaves open no other choice. That is why a figure like Johnson is willing to risk a land war. in: Asia, war with China, war with the Soviet Union, evn a nuclear conflict. The profit system must be maintained, advanced and imposed on others whether they like it or not and no matter what the risk!
The lesson of the contrast between Luna 9 and "Operation
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.Masher" could. not. be more striking. Hundreds of millions of people in the colonial and semicolonial world will not fail to notice it.
JOHNSON 'S SECRET CONFERENCE IN. HAWAII
. After refraining from bombing north Vietnam for 37 days, Johnson ordered the forays to resume January 31. The lull was de-. signed to give plausibility to a "peace offensive" in the diplomat— ic field aimed at closing the "credibility gap" in Washington' s: propaganda about its role in Vietnam. The objective was to pin on. Hanoi the responsibility for continuation of the war. -
This hypocritical maneuver failed to convince many people, however. The lull in the bombing was not erided by Hanoi sending bombers over California, but ‘by Johnson sending planes over Viet— namese territory.
Johnson's resumption of bombing north Vietnam was likewise’ interpreted by informed people the world around as a clear indica-~ tion that.the White House had decided on further escalation of the war, including extending it elsewhere in Southeast Asia. This was already implicit, of course, in the. intensification’ of the war in -south Vietnam carried out. by American troops during the bombing — lull itself.
In an obvious effort ‘to. cushion the repercussions ‘of: again dropping bombs on north Vietnam, Johnson announced that his admin- -istration would ask the United Nations Security Council to help in the. "pursuit: of peace." The cynicism of this move was +00 transparent to give it much effect. Why didn't Johnson appeal to the UN before resuming the bombing? Before stepping up operations in south -Vietnam?, Before sending massive additions tothe U.S. forces in Vietnam? Before escalating the war, in the first place? 7 : . dohnson's decision to step up and extend the war shocked sectors. of the American people who. had hoped that the lull in bombing north Vietnam. might signal a turn in the belligerent policy of the White House. The pressure of these layers of the population has been mounting on Congress, especially the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which. has become a focal point for the expression of doubts about. the. advisability of Johnson’ s course in Vietnam.
On January 30, the day before the bombing was again started, a panel of.congressmen, including senators Fulbright and Morse, was televised for an hour and a half on’ CBS, a nationwide hookup. The deep. doubts voiced by Fulbright. and the direct appeals made by. Morse for action. by the people undoubtedly had a strong effect on the millions of viewers. But the very next day, before they. could do much,. Johnson ended the lull!
‘The rebuff to the critical voices in Congress 1 was like a public slap in the face. The Foreign Relations Committee ‘responded by scheduling a public hearing on the administration's policy in
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the Vietnam war and arranged to have it televised, again: over CBS. The hearings began with a full day on television febeuary.. 4A.
Depending on the depth of the antiwar sentiment in the United States, these hearings, with their. constant references to secret documents and with administration representatives being grilled hour after hour in-the glare of the klieg. lights, could .become a nationwide sensation. The possibility of.spectacular.developments in the hearings was indicated the first day. they opened when Secretary of © Defense McNamara and Gen. Earle G..Wheeler, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, refused to testify publicly before the committee, demanding that they be heard behind closed doors. The response of Senator Morse before the TV cameras was angry.
. “Since the American people “are going to die by the millions," he -said, they have -a right to have the testimony on the public record. "Let's have it out with the