To the Editor:

In his letter in the June issue on the symposium, “Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy” [April], Neil G. Barclay states that “virtually all of the fellow-travelers and apologists for totalitarianism to be found in the democratic West come from the ranks of the anti-capitalist Left. . . .” I wish to suggest that this is misleading and gets many of those in professional and business, not to mention artistic and scientific, endeavors—as distinct from strictly political and ideological ones—off the hook. When multinational corporations, with millions of shareholders, management personnel, and employees . . ., engage in mutually beneficial trade with statist regimes (where no free market exists at all), they act in the capacity of fellow-travelers and apologists for totalitarianism. The fact that these individuals and their organizations are not primarily advocates simply points up that there is a division of labor in the support one can give to political systems—some can provide theoretical analyses, . . . others can give professional support, and yet others can supply cash. . . . The intellectuals are not the only ones who have sold out the free society. . . .

Tibor R. Machan
Department of Philosophy
SUNY College
Fredonia, New York