Question: Hello. I'm a representative of the LaRouche movement, here in Peru, and I'm a student at the University of Engineering.

My question is the following: Regarding Ibero-America, in what thought-current can you really find the first models of republic? Did this model really stick to the American System of political economy? That's my question.

LaRouche: Okay. Well, the idea of the republic, remember is an idea which was consolidated, as a first expression, by Plato, in a series of writings, which include what is called his Republic; in which the issues of society are stated. You had, also, earlier in Greece, under Solon, the reform of Athens earlier, and Solon's poem, rebuking his fellow-citizens--that is, later in life--for their allowing the Athens, which he had led in freeing, to degenerate into decadence. So, these were the models of republic. These were the ideas of republic, which came from ancient, Classical Greece, which were picked up and influenced the Europeans, and influenced the Americas, of course.

That's what the republic means: The idea of a society, which, again--the key thing, remember, in Plato's Republic, is Socrates in the discussion of the three characters created by Plato--Thrasymachus, Glaucon, and Socrates--are the three models of statecraft of that time (or typical models), in which Socrates defines, in his party against Thrasymachus, and against Glaucon, defines the notion of agape. Which, again, is translated by the Apostle Paul, agape as "general welfare" or "common good": That, we do not work for this or that; we do not work to do a bunch of "do's" and "don't's"; but, we work to serve a higher purpose, which is not defined by any specific code, but is essentially the mission before us, handed to us, by circumstances: the mission to promote the general welfare of mankind, including for future generations.

So, that kind of concept is what should dominate us. The republic also means, of course, that you have, in addition to simple relations among people within a cage, called a "nation-state boundaries," it means that you have a responsibility for developing a land. Let's take the case of Peru, concretely: Well, you have largely desert area, which once had more water; once was better developed, a long time ago. And, the distressing thing is, the fact that there isn't the water or development there, or the energy supplies to do what is needed to turn that land-area, efficiently, into the kind of area, which is needed by the population: which means a tremendous amount of work has to be done, in water development; in basic economic infrastructure; in transportation; in production and distribution of energy supplies and power; in education. All these things have to be done.

So therefore, the maintenance of the area in which the people live, to create the conditions needed for the advancement of life in that area, is also an integral part, the physical aspect, the economic aspect, of the republic. And thus, the responsibility and participation of each person, in that nation, in these activities, which are necessary for the development of the land-area, as well as the people and population as a whole, is crucial. The individual finds the meaning of their life, in what they contribute to this process, overall. So, a republic is not simply a model of a relationship, among individuals, in a simple individual way. It's a relationship of each individual to the development of the entire land-area and population, of that state. And also, means a certain relationship to the states, which are around that state, in particular.

So, those concepts are essential. They're essential exactly for the Americas today. For example, we need a transportation system, a power-grid system, and so forth, which runs from Alaska in the Arctic region, down to Tierra del Fuego. We need such a system, and we need it for many reasons. The Amazon, for example, is a system which is largely located in Brazil, but it's not limited to Brazil. The Amazon system is also in Peru; it's also in Colombia; it's also in Venezuela; it also affects Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay. So, the Amazon system, is a system which is a joint concern, of all of these states, and the development and management of the Amazon, and what it represents, is a joint concern. So therefore, the idea of the republic goes beyond the simple national borders, to cooperation with neighboring republics, in those matters of common interest as a whole.

It boils down to a sense of mission: We live a limited amount of time. People in a nation, of a generation, two-three generations, a maximum four, are living together; that is, at any one time, you generally have about four generations who are actively living together, in an active way, in that population. But, they're also living in respect to the population, which came before, and the population which will come afterward. So, you have a mission. What is my mission? What am I living to do? What are we, who live today? What's our mission? So, the republic becomes, instead of a static thing, instead of something like a cage in which you are interacting--individuals are interacting--it becomes a sense of mission, in space and time. What are we, in our time, doing? What am I, as part of this process, doing? So, those concepts, I think, are what's crucial.

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