Strategy for Defense

“Packard’s Strategy for Defense” (Feb. 22, by David DeVoss) is a prime example of a knowledgeable private-sector executive espousing the correct priorities concerning our country’s control of its exports. He notes the Defense Department’s unreasonable concern about deterring exports of commodities and technologies that we need not fear being used against us militarily. The Pentagon’s argument that we create tremendous burdens for the Soviet Bloc countries by not allowing them to freely receive our exports gets weaker and more insane every year as other countries export these items instead of U.S. companies.

The current movement in Washington to finally make sense out of export control laws will not, we hope, be another political fad. Our clients are tired of hearing us say there is a possible liberalization of the regulations. Hopefully, input from people like Packard and from the National Academy of Science study mentioned in the article will incite the government to work for and with U.S. exporters.

Harvey C. Sacks

Export Consulting Inc.

Santa Monica