To the Editor:

Walter Laqueur . . . [“Third World Fantasies,” February] has charged that the Third World is led by “demagogues with no genuine interest in economic and social improvements, for whom the nonaligned conferences, UNCTAD, the Paris ‘North-South-Dialogue,’ and the Group of 77 and other such bodies are merely a platform for their own destructive political ends.”

In reality, since there are heads of state everywhere who are primarily concerned with their own self-enhancement politically and economically, it is unjust to single out the leaders of developing countries on this score. It is also unfair to condemn them en masse. . . .

In considering some particular cases mentioned by Mr. Laqueur, one should realize that Mozambique may believe in self-reliance, but it lacks the natural resources and infrastructure to build the society it wishes. If one desires to cite leadership struggles among nationalist movements, however, it would be more appropriate to choose Angola or Rhodesia. Mozambique has been able to contain most of the usual jockeying for position among political leaders (cf. the current struggle within Israel’s Labor party) within its single movement, Frelimo, which was established in 1962 in order to unite disparate groups.

This brings us to the contrary charge against one-party states. President Julius K. Nyerere of Tanzania, for example, was elected fairly to the presidency of the nationalist movement in 19.53 and attained national leadership even before independence in the 1958 and 1959 elections. As long as he has held office, he has not confronted any really serious rivals. . . . Since Nyerere’s party, Tanu, is accepted throughout mainland Tanzania, Nyerere instituted a system of competition for representatives within the party itself. This model has been followed subsequently by other African countries. Of course, the question remains as to how much actual influence parliaments can exert even where they do exist. The growth rate in Tanzania is low and should be higher through both internal and external efforts, but Tanzania has evoked admiration because of the genuine attempt to spread the benefits of development throughout the country and not to confine them to a small elite in the modern sector.

Since most of the Third World countries are relatively small and weak, it is not surprising that they have tried to combine their forces through the nonaligned movement and other groupings. It is unfortunate that the currying of favor with the Arabs has led many of them to join in an unfair condemnation of Israel. Nonetheless, what advocate of democracy would deny them the right to try to unite to have greater leverage in international politics?

Finally, it is undoubtedly unfortunate that much of the press in Third World countries is controlled by the governments, yet the shrinking number of newspapers is not necessarily in itself a sign of declining democracy. There are now more dailies published in Lagos than in New York!

Let us view the Third World in proper perspective and be more willing to make careful distinctions among the various developing countries.

Susan Aurelia Gitelson
New York City

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Walter Laqueur writes:

I accept Susan Aurelia Gitelson’s point in regard to the number of dailies in Lagos as compared with New York, and concede that this is bad for New York.

But I did not condemn the governments of Third World countries en masse; the remarks she quotes referred to the most vociferous spokesmen of the group, as I made quite clear. The history of Frelimo in the 1960’s (and even later) was one of bloody internal clashes and purges; a comparison with the struggle for power in Mapai seems a little farfetched, to put it mildly.