University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, April 29, 1987
7
Soviet
*continued from p. 1*
Scotland. We need an American
Gorbachev.
But William Fletcher, chairman of Soviet and East European studies, thinks Gorbachev's intentions are irrelevant. He dismisses glasnost as nice noises and cosmetic adjustments.
"Their problems are structural and systemic," he said. "It's like taking a Model-T Ford and trying to make it compete with a modern automobile. It can't be done."
Gerald Mikkelson, who also is a professor of Slavic languages and literatures, said glasnost was a cause for hope that the United States and the Soviet Union eventually might become allies.
"The freer the people are, the greater the potential for us to become friends," he said. "There's a terrific gap between our societies. The more that gap is narrowed, the greater the potential for friendship and alliance and reconciliation.
"The Russian people will be so grateful to their leaders for seeking to improve their lives that they will respond with heroic efforts."
Norman Saul, who also is a professor of history, said that Gorbachev's reforms were important, but that it was hard to determine how effectively they would be.
"I see an opportunity here. But I
see a very early end to the Cold War."
Throughout the Cold War, nuclear missiles have remained in their silos. But the arms race has sped on, both nations contending that their stockpiles of weapons are not for offensive use and necessary to deter enemy aggression.
Mikkelson, who says anti-Sovietism is a disease in the United States, said U.S. citizens shouldn't perceive their nation as morally superior to the Soviet Union on issues such as the arms race.
"It has been generated primarily by us," he said. "We're the ones running this thing and they're playing catch-up.
"Our leaders have not wanted arms control agreements because they do not want to do anything that would strengthen the Soviet economy and allow them to develop in other wavs."
Mikkelson said the United States was unjustifiably paranoid of the Soviets.
"The American fear of the Soviet Union is mostly irational," he said. "We are stronger than they are militarily and economically. What they call capitalistic encirclement is a reality for them."
Shaffer said economic factors were one thing preventing the United States from seriously pursuing arms control. Although the United States continually battles unemployment, the Soviet Union needs more workers in non-military industries, thus only the Soviets have a sincere desire to stop the arms race. he said.
But Fletcher said Soviet party leaders had no intention of allowing the average Soviet citizen's standard of living to improve.
"For them, every gun that is made is a refrigerator less. For us, every gun that is made creates a job," he said. "If we could stop the arms race, they would prosper. They might prove that socialism might work."
"If you want to preserve the privileges and power you have, the military is a wonderful investment," he said. "The assumption that they want to reduce arms expenditures in order to improve the standard of living for their men and them if the reindeer herdmen in Siberia starve to death."
Therefore, arms control is irrelevant. Fletcher said.
"As long you have the basic structures, you're going to have competition," he said. "Nobody ever gives up anything important in arms negotiations."
"The Soviets don't want arms control. They want arms superiority. We want arms equality, they do not."
Roy Laird, who also is a professor of political science, agrees that the Soviets deserve most of the blame for the killing of his brother. But he sees at least a glimmer of hope.
"Their leaders, like the American leaders, have looked down the gun barrel of nuclear arms," he said.
"The Soviet Union is in very serious economic straits. Even more than the U.S., they can't afford both guns and butter.
"Gorbache would like to arrange affairs in such a way that they could spend more of their scarce resources on the domestic economy."
But the obstacles to arms control may be more formidable than its attractions.
"If we knew there were an ideal balance of power, the leaders could be satisfied with equality," Laird said. "But there is an inescapable tendency among all nations to be satisfied only if the edge is on their side.
"The desire to cut back is very seriously qualified by this natural tendency to be sure you have an ace up your sleeve."
Although the rift between right- and left-wing Soviet scholars is broad, the professors said, open-minded discussion needs to continue. Saul said each side could learn from the other.
"I would be the last one to say that there is only one way of looking at the Soviet threat and the nature of Soviet society," he said.
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