Teoria económica

     Debate e confrontação no contexto da ocupação da herdade Torre Bela, no concelho da Azambuja, Ribatejo, propriedade do Duque de Lafões, Dom Manuel de Bragança. A ocupação da herdade deu-se a 23 de Abril de 1975 e prolongou-se por alguns anos, tendo sido criada uma cooperativa agrícola para organizar a produção. Estas imagens são retiradas do filme-documentário do cineasta alemão Thomas Harlan.
     A discussão é de antologia, opondo duas visões do mundo: uma delas utópica e colectivista (abdicar da propriedade individual para se "aceder" ainda a mais bens) e uma outra, atávica e telúrica. Proprietário de praticamente nada, o trabalhador agrícola resiste a que lhe tirem a enxada, ainda que lhe paguem o valor dela.
     O cooperativista, por outro lado, podia pegar no dinheiro e comprar a ferramenta numa loja, mas isso não chega: ele tem de abolir a propriedade privada e por isso entende que o trabalhador deve deixar de ser possuidor do seu instrumento de trabalho.
     Depois do colapso da cooperativa (e genericamente da reforma agrária pós-25 de Abril) abundaram as explicações sobre as causas do fiasco: supostamente uma conspiração do grande capital e dos aparelhos partidários. Mas a verdadeira causa talvez possa ser encontrada neste pequeno episódio.

Argumentation between a defender of collectivisation of land and tools, and an agricultural worker who is refusing to give his tool away. Filmed by Thomas Harlan during the revolutionary taking-over of “Torre Bela” farm (Portugal - 23 April 1975) Cooperativist - What is the value of your tool?... What is the value of your tool? Agricultural worker - I don’t know, is costs more now... Cooperativist - So, you must demand that, and it will become property of the Cooperative. This all belongs to the Cooperative. It is not yours, it is not his [pointing another worker], it is not mine — it belongs to the Cooperative! Agricultural worker - It belongs to the Cooperative? And what about the others that don't bring any tools? Their tools stay at their home, and mine goes to the Cooperative... The others that brought nothing to work here, and don't intend to, so it don't get lost, they will finish to loose mine… Cooperativist - May I? [holds the tool] This has the value of 100 escudos… Agricultural worker - Exactly. Cooperativist - This goes to the Cooperative and the Cooperative gives you 100 escudos, and this is not yours anymore: it is mine, it belongs to him [points another worker], it belongs to everyone! Agricultural worker - It might seem all right, but I am the one who works width it. Tomorrow I'll need to use it in my plot of land, and then, must I buy another one? And then that one goes to the Cooperative too? And I buy another one and everything goes to the Cooperative? Soon, my shoes and my cloths will be property of the Cooperative... even I was the one who bought it? Cooperativist - That is exactly. Agricultural worker – And I was the one who bought it… Cooperativist - That is our philosophy. Agricultural worker - Tomorrow, you'll take my boots and it goes to the Cooperative! Cooperativist - That is our aim. Agricultural worker - It goes to the Cooperative and I will be naked! Cooperativist - You won't get naked! You'll even get more cloths than the ones you have now! Agricultural worker – [doubtful] I am not seeing that... I am not seeing that... Cooperativist - You, never in your life of slave... Agricultural worker - [ironic] ...Each time I see more and more... Cooperativist - Look, You are a fool. Agricultural worker - [ironic] The ones that do not see are the blind, and the dead, and the ones still to be born. Those didn’t saw yet. They will come to see. Woman - Look, now that you lost that tool... Agricultural worker - I did not lost it! Woman - ... We pay you for it! We will pay it! We only need to calm down... Cooperativist - What this comrade of yours is saying — in fact, she understood it. Today you seem not to understand, and I don't know why. But I will tell you once more. You said a while ago that you will finish without cloths, with nothing. But the aim of your work, the aim of my work, the aim of all this work, is that you don't get naked, and that you can even get more cloths than those you have today, so that you get everything. However, remember: in order to avoid problems — and this is one of thing we must get straight now — this tool that you claim to be yours today, goes to the Cooperative, and that is the only way to get ahead. If you gave 40 or 50 escudos for it, the Cooperative will give you that amount. And then, when you'll come here, it belongs to you, it will be your tool. And so, you must respect it and use it properly. Agricultural worker – [doubtful] It might be like that, but there are other ones that don’t... [truncated]