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Aging Soviet leadcrs, mosr of rhem
having had personal involvcmenrs in
che early years of rhe Russian Revolu–
rion, are srill vcrr much imbued wirh
rhe belief rhar Communism is rhc
inevitable ··wave of rhe furure" -rhar
ir wi ll ulrimarely rriumph over ··de–
cadenr capiralisr powers" such as che
Unired Srares.
Based on his face-ro-face ralks wirh
che Soviet leadcrs, Mr. Nixon ob–
scrvcd rhar "rhere sri ll are deep philo–
sophical differenccs" bcrween rhe rwo
superpowers. These dilferences are nor
likely ever ro be bridged, given che
closed, regulated sociery of che Soviet
Unio n.
These faces represenr che reality of
roday's complex internacional siru–
ation. And despire rhe desire on rhe
pare of many Amer icans rhar rheir na–
rion should no longer be rhe ·'world's
policeman," che facr is, in rhis harsh
world of roday, rhe unasked-for re–
sponsibiliry for world peace srill reses
upon weary U. S. shoulders.
The T echnology Race
Wherher rhe Soviers, conrrary ro
rheir pasr hisrory, rcmain fairhful ro
che rerms of rhe new arms limirarion
agrccmenrs is yer ro be proved. Bur
assuming rhey remain rrue ro rheir
word, rhe wholc arca of qualirarive,
rechnological improvemenr of nu–
clear forces on borh sides rakes cencer
srage. 1mproved nuclear rechnology is
in no way proscribcd by che SALT
Treary and agrccmcnr.
The presenr kadcrs of rhe Unired
Srares would nor havc signed rhe
SALT pacr:; if rhey had nor been con–
fidenr rhar che U.S.A. could mainrain
irs rcchnological supcrioriry over che
Russians. But srrangdy, che rech–
nological racc is whcrc che Unired
Srarcs could ulrimarcly come our on
che shorr cnd. Amcrica's presenr rwo–
ro five-year rechnology lead over rhe
USSR could vanish guickly.
The publicarion
A ttiation llí'eek and
Space Technolog;•
rcporrs rhar che ..So–
vice Union is pushing ro achicve a
clear rechnological-milirary superior–
iry over che U. S. by 1974-75."
12
Litrle wonder rhar famous nuclear
physicist Dr. Edward Tcllcr rcccnrly
proclaimed rhar ··roday wc are nor in
an arms race ... we are in a rcch–
nological race."
The Soviets will nevcr be sarisfied
unless or unril rhey carch up wirh rhc
Unired Srares in "1\i iRVs" - mul–
riple independen rly rargercd re-cnrry
vehicles. And MIRVs arop the already
vasrly more powerful Soviet missilcs
would mean a discincr mi lirary advan–
cage for Moscow - unlcss U. S. scicn-
risrs break inro entirely new fields of
wcapons developmcnr.
Compounding Amcrica's problem.
howeYer. is che growing backlash
againsc rechnology
in
general in rhe
Unitcd Srarcs. Whereas rechnology is
grcarl} respecrcd in che Soviet Gnion,
borb scicnce and rccbnology are being
blamcd for much of America's dom<.:s–
ric ills, from pollurion ro rhe dc–
humanizing of life. Many American
scicnrists fear a dramaric currailmcnt
of borh privare and pu blic funds for
PLAIN TRUTH Augu5t 1972