by David Shavin (EIRNS) — Nov. 14, 2024
There’s a very real idea that people are going to have to wrap their minds around, if they want a pathway out of thermonuclear confrontation. It is the matter of nations, with different situations, characteristics and problems, having a higher basis for benefiting from interactions with other nations. Do nations actually become better, become more of what they are uniquely capable of being, by their cultural, scientific and economic exchanges?
Russian President Vladimir Putin, [speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club](en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/75521) on Nov. 7, described a “rise of nations and cultures that have previously remained on the periphery of global politics for one reason or another” and this “means that their own distinct ideas of law and justice are playing an increasingly important role. They are diverse. This may give the impression of discord and perhaps cacophony, but this is only the initial phase. It is my deep conviction that the only new international system possible is one embracing polyphony, where many tones and many musical themes are sounded together to form harmony. If you like, we are moving towards a world system that is going to be polyphonic rather than polycentric, one in which all voices are heard and, most importantly, absolutely must be heard. Those who are used to soloing and want to keep it that way will have to get used to the new ‘scores’ now.”
That is not simply a stand against unilateralism, not simply a stand for nations or regions leaving each other alone, which polycentric could entertain. Putin is invoking a human capacity—and scientific development closely identified with J.S. Bach—whereby one voice becomes more beautiful, more passionate, more truthful and more itself in its interactions with other such voices.
Today, in Peru, the new advanced port of Chancay was inaugurated with joyous celebrations. China’s President Xi Jinping welcomed Peru’s project, built by China, as the first major Belt and Road project in South America. Xi’s extended greetings to Peru not only covered the vast and new economic reality for Peru—trade, shipping, good-paying jobs, etc.—but offered his own “polyphonic” metaphor for the future of a relatively small nation not yet properly developed, and his own vast nation, a recent and powerful example of breaking out of backwardness:
“We should explore the establishment of a global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.… We should ensure that civilizations, diverse in many ways, complement each other and shine brightly together, just like the multicolored pools of China’s Jiuzhaigou and Peru’s Salt Terraces of Maras, thus making greater contributions to the progress of human civilization….
“China is ready to join Peru in embracing a broader vision and grasping the underlying trends of our times from a long historical perspective to champion true multilateralism, promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, jointly implement the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and build together a community with a shared future for mankind.”
Flowery words from politicians who specialize in images and never deliver the goods? Yet the polyphonic chorus swells.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ridiculed the “Korea"-type deals being floated for solving the Ukraine crisis, a simple freezing of the lines of contact as they now exist, considered “revolutionary ideas” by Western politicians ready to move on to another proxy war. He made clear that they are playing “talk-talk” games; rather, Russia’s security is tied to nothing less than the economic development for all their neighbors. Putin’s strategy is the “Greater Eurasian Partnership” plan, “to enable all structures and countries across Eurasia to work more closely together, exchange their integration practices, harmonize and coordinate their projects, and engage in major infrastructure undertakings such as the well-known North-South International Transport Corridor. This also includes linking Indian ports with the ports in Russia’s Far East, and the Northern Sea Route too.” He said, those are where our energies go, even if they have to defend the Russian-speaking sections of pre-2022 Ukraine.
Contrast this with yesterday’s pathetic display of “tough guy” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He “laid down the law” that Israel had to stop starving northern Gaza—but he’d give them 30 more days to see if they could figure out how to allow trucks with food into Gaza. And if they didn’t, the U.S. would then consider whether they would punish Israel by taking away their bombs. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu smelled the bluff of a parent scared of his own wayward child. Sure enough, 30 days later, Israel has failed to allow the trucks. So, as the death count of women and children continues to mount, Blinken announced that “of the 15 steps that we urged action on, Israel has taken action either in implementing or being in the process of implementing 12 of the 15 steps.” Forget what “to not yet having taken action to implement but having taken action to be in the process implementing” could possibly mean. Allowing the trucks in was one of the three steps that evidently fell below Blinken’s minimal standard. So, no food. More dead toddlers. And no announcement that the U.S. would be cutting off any bombs.
The tragicomedy plays out on a world stage, while country after country finally sees their chance to escape the slavery of colonial poverty, and join or partner with the BRICS. The United States, as a beacon of hope and a temple of liberty, once proved to the world that British colonialism was not the law of the universe. Both Xi and Putin seem to have mastered a higher level of composition and conceived a world where the voice of the West would lawfully enrich that polyphony.
In her Wednesday webcast, Helga Zepp-LaRouche described Putin’s use of polyphony: “I think that’s a very beautiful image of how nations could relate to each other. Because, like in a composition, you have a small theme, then you have a larger ongoing theme, and these different themes are being interwoven, sometimes in a double fugal composition, sometimes in some other ways; but from these different musical ideas and subjects, all notes have a place, and in a thorough-composition, there is not one note too much, but each note plays a crucial role. And that is a beautiful metaphor for the difference of nations: Obviously, you have big nations, you have small nations, you have something like Liechtenstein, and you have Russia—one is very tiny, the other one is 11 time zones. You have countries that have a lot of people like China and India, then you have small countries with just a few million or even less. You have countries that have lots of raw materials, and you have countries that have almost none. You have different degrees of development. But all of these countries, if they participate in a joint, common good of development, each of them can unfold all the potential which is embedded in them.
“So, it’s like a symphony, where, when you have a Classical polyphonic composition, it is harmonic, it sounds beautiful to the ear, it elevates the soul, and it corresponds to the highest image of man, man in the image of the Creator, or man as a creative being, and that is a very beautiful image for how we get out of this crisis.”
The November 15 meeting of the International Peace Coalition, “Stop Bullying the World—We Have To Start Fresh”, chaired by Zepp-LaRouche, is the place to find your voice.