Thanks for your letter. But be reassured: we aren't sad, nor discouraged. We are only pessimistic, because we are well-placed to see the magnitude of the peril and the weakness of our government of traitors and half-traitors. Until now, this government has aspired to yield its place to de Gaulle in a legal fashion -- so as to avoid a civil war that it doesn't want because it would involve the victory of the popular Left against a rebellion in which all of French capitalism is mixed up.
Nevertheless, the position of the government is weakened each day (as is that of the "conciliator" to Algeria, Salan). The fascists only fear a general strike, and everything depends on the moment at which this general strike will be unleased and on its scope: in any case, it is definite that the situationists are particularly ready for such a strike.
Yesterday, the fascists seized Corsica without encountering any resistance (but there will perhaps be a strong reaction from the Communists, who are powerful in Corsica). The Massu-Soustelle-Sid Cara Committee, which was constituted the same day in Algeria, is now an insurrectionary government whose only possibility is to conquer France by imposing the power of de Gaulle.
History certainly can not go in reverse, but there are local retreats, which can go far.
Nevertheless, nothing is played, because popular force still hasn't been engaged in an open struggle. But this struggle will begin in bad conditions: one has lost a lot of time; all of the anti-fascist demonstrations are prohibited by governmental forces that don't want to resist parachutists and fascists, even for an instant, as one saw in Corsica.
You vote today. I hope that the C.D.[2] withdraws and that you will become the mayor of Alba, in place of Cagnasso.
We are agreed on your exposition on 31 May [1958]. Quickly send the prints and good luck.
Thank you for the Tartufacartolina.[3] Who is Benoldi?[4]
Receive my very amicable greetings and those of Michele [Bernstein], Hafid [Khatib], several young women and a crowd of Algerian proletarians.
GuyP.S. Capella has shown me your response and his article on the perfumes.
(Letter marked by a hammer & sickle postmark.)
[1] Translator: Dear Pinot, great and noble friend.
[2] The Christian Democratic Party.
[3] "Truffle-card" evoking the highly reputed white truffle of Alba.
[4] Elio Benoldi, co-responsible -- along with Enrico Crispolti and Luciano Pistoi -- for the journal Notizie: arti figurative [translator: News: The Figurative Arts].
(Published in Guy Debord, Correspondance, Volume 1, 1957-1960. Footnotes by Alice Debord, except where noted. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! October 2005.)