WANTED: GOOD READERS
Hindsight enables us to think wonderfully clear about things which were happening all around us years ago..
Now that the Soviet Union has broken up and other regimes of a like nature show some signs of doing the same thing, we realize we should have anticipated such things happening long before we did so.
When any state begins a series of repressive measures within its own area designed to strengthen their hold upon the people, we should look at such campaigns as an indication of doubts, as an improper assessment of our own actions, and a sign of weakness within the governing force of the nation. They are showing doubts by insisting on purification of basic tenets by which they hold power.
Such flaws can be seen in the current situations we now face, and, if we examine them carefully we can find out where the often “hairline” cracks exist and have a better idea of what the future might hold. Some of it is apparent on our side, too. Right now, we would be doing ourselves a favor if we would stop being impressed by watching both Bin Laden and Saddam Hiessen firing rifles and automatic weapons Those same two shots have been running on our TV screens for years and we have failed to see that the shooters are expressing bragadoccio. Neither shooter hits anything. Saddam fires at random into the air after having a few seconds of trouble finding the trigger, while Bin bangs away at unseen targets while onlookers show approval. Those two propaganda film excerpts are for their own people trying to depict their leaders as warriors of consequence.
Back in 1979-80, when Kosygin was Premier of the Soviet Union, he ranted at some length on how improvements could only be brought about by a more more diligent adherence to the, even then, old, threadbare Marxist-Lenin package. Later, Leonid Brezhnev was quite ill for a time and the power struggle taking place within the Kremlin at that time should been a textbook urging a closer look a the discontent among the populace as well.
I like to think two things took place at those times: One that our communications systems helped to make the people more aware of actual conditions within he Soviet Union.
The other is feeling is that I think we had some good , capable, qualified “Russia readers” in our State Department and other governmental agencies who were heard and respected by political persons who, far too often ignore this vital factor.
My fear, now, is that we either do not have capable, trained, experienced and fearless “readers” of Iraq, Iran, Arabic nations, and the Muslim world, or that their voices are being obscured or ignored because of narrow party-politics ploys.
A.L.M. October 11, 2002 [c470wds]
