October 23, 2007 (LPAC)--Lyndon LaRouche was able to briefly address a meeting of the Ascoli-Piceno, Italy, Chamber of Commerce by phone today, and take a question, with a consecutive translation provided by Andrew Spannaus. Here is the transcript:
LYNDON LAROUCHE: Well, I'm glad to be back again with the president, after a long absence. We're in a very interesting situation. I would not be surprised, if I'd been there today, at what I'm seeing now, as you may recall. We're in the greatest economic and related crisis in our times, and the question whether we'll survive is there. But I think there are opportunities for us, nonetheless, to come out of this alive.
I've had some interesting conversations recently, and in the past several months, in Rome, and there are some interesting things going on there, despite all the usual kinds of troubles. And I would hope that what we're trying to do from the United States, and also in some other countries around the world, such as for example, the Bering Straits Tunnel Project which is actually in process now--it's not fully in process, but it's in process--these kinds of things would give someone belief, that we are going to come out of this mess successfully.
What I'm doing presently, is I've been pushing a piece of legislation for adoption by the U.S. Congress. We're having quite a fight about it, but it's important: It's a piece of legislation which would stop all foreclosures, that is, forcing people out of their homes, and would also prevent any foreclosures of banks, that is, the regular banks of the national-chartered banks or the state-chartered banks in the United States, and would give us time, by creating this kind of what I've called a firewall, to put through other reforms which would lead to recovery. If the United States begins to move in that direction, it's obvious that other nations will begin to move, and in that way, I see a possibility of a recovery, which is going to take a lot of work from some of us, to make it happen.
And as then, when I was last there in Ascoli-Piceno, I would hope that we are defending, effectively, the local industries, which as I emphasized then, I thought would be the best security of the region against what would be hitting Italy as a whole, especially the collapse of the major industries around the northern part of Italy. As you know, then as now, I was very much in favor of large public infrastructure programs for essential infrastructure for nations as a whole, internationally, but with a greater emphasis on smaller, privately held industries, as opposed to giant industries. I'm not against giant industries, but I think a dependency on these industries exclusively is a great source of weakness, and tends to prevent the rational development of local regions with nations.
I am thankful for this opportunity to speak with you, and will try to answer any questions you have.
ANDREW SPANNAUS: Okay, the question is: "How do you see the current situation, in terms of the war, and the possibility of new wars, and what effects could this have on the international situation?"
LAROUCHE: The danger of war now is the same kind of danger that we had in Europe, between the wars of 1895 through 1945: That a global financial-economic crisis produces the preconditions for great wars. The danger now of war, is great--of general warfare. However, the reason for the danger of war does not come from local regions of the world. It comes at the top of the international monetary-financial system's crisis. And under conditions of crisis, as before, as between 1894-1945, the war dangers of that period, the war danger today is the same general nature: Therefore the efforts to stabilize the world economy, and to strengthen cooperation among nations, particularly today, for example, between Europe and Asia, that this cooperation is essential, if we are to build a successful barrier against war in this period.
This is why I'm so happy about the fact that Russia has decided to proceed with development of a Bering Strait railway which would connect Eurasia, with the Americas. This kind of rail system would open up the world for new kinds of economic cooperation, on a global basis which is not presently possible. Such measures as this, are, in my view, the long-term prospect for peace. While this project will take years to develop, nonetheless, the commitment to do it, and to establish the treaty agreements for it, will, I think, serve as the best possible alternative to war, now.
SPANNAUS: Thank you, very much.
LAROUCHE: Well, thank you.
SPANNAUS: Arrivederci.
LAROUCHE: Arrivederci.
