Mikhail Gorbachev: 'It All Looks as if the World Is Preparing for War'

["Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Date: Fri, Jan 27, 2017 at 1:33 AM
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Mikhail Gorbachev: 'It All Looks as if the World Is
Preparing for War'
To: Multiple recipients of Dewayne-Net <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>


Mikhail Gorbachev: 'It All Looks as if the World Is Preparing for War’
By Mikhail Gorbachev
Jan 26 2017
<http://time.com/4645442/gorbachev-putin-trump/>

The world today is overwhelmed with problems. Policymakers seem to be
confused and at a loss.

But no problem is more urgent today than the militarization of politics and
the new arms race. Stopping and reversing this ruinous race must be our top
priority.

The current situation is too dangerous.

More troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers are being brought to
Europe. NATO and Russian forces and weapons that used to be deployed at a
distance are now placed closer to each other, as if to shoot point-blank.

While state budgets are struggling to fund people’s essential social needs,
military spending is growing. Money is easily found for sophisticated
weapons whose destructive power is comparable to that of the weapons of
mass destruction; for submarines whose single salvo is capable of
devastating half a continent; for missile defense systems that undermine
strategic stability.

Politicians and military leaders sound increasingly belligerent and defense
doctrines more dangerous. Commentators and TV personalities are joining the
bellicose chorus. It all looks as if the world is preparing for war.

It could have been different

In the second half of the 1980s, together with the U.S., we launched a
process of reducing nuclear weapons and lowering the nuclear threat. By
now, as Russia and the U.S. reported to the Non-proliferation Treaty Review
Conference, 80% of the nuclear weapons accumulated during the years of the
Cold War have been decommissioned and destroyed. No one’s security has been
diminished, and the danger of nuclear war starting as a result of technical
failure or accident has been reduced.

This was made possible, above all, by the awareness of the leaders of major
nuclear powers that nuclear war is unacceptable.

In November 1985, at the first summit in Geneva, the leaders of the Soviet
Union and the U.S. declared: Nuclear war cannot be won and must never be
fought. Our two nations will not seek military superiority. This statement
was met with a sigh of relief worldwide.

I recall a Politburo meeting in 1986 at which the defense doctrine was
discussed. The proposed draft contained the following language: "Respond to
attack with all available means." Members of the politburo objected to this
formula. All agreed that nuclear weapons must serve only one purpose:
preventing war. And the ultimate goal should be a world without nuclear
weapons.

Breaking out of the vicious circle

Today, however, the nuclear threat once again seems real. Relations between
the great powers have been going from bad to worse for several years now.
The advocates for arms build-up and the military-industrial complex are
rubbing their hands.

We must break out of this situation. We need to resume political dialogue
aiming at joint decisions and joint action.

There is a view that the dialogue should focus on fighting terrorism. This
is indeed an important, urgent task. But, as a core of a normal
relationship and eventually partnership, it is not enough.

[snip]

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