‘Cold War Is Not Over’

Scowcroft, with his insistence that “the Cold War is not over,” is another Charlie Brown, standing alone and deserted on the pitching mound, in pouring rain, shouting to his team to come back, the game’s still on.

Yes, Brent, the Cold War is over, and both teams lost. While the United States and the Soviet Union have been putting all of their resources into the weapons of self-destruction, the rest of the industrialized nations have overtaken both of the cold-warring nations, and their lead lengthens. Gorbachev is realistic enough to face that fact, apparently the Bush Administration is not.

Judging from the Scowcroft statement the new/old team in the White House is still clinging to the hope of “victory,” that is, if the Cold War is continued long enough Soviet Russia will spend itself into bankruptcy before we do, thereby proving the superiority of our economic system. No wonder they see Gorbachev’s peace offensive as the gravest of threats. Without an enemy, we have no game plan.

RICHARD M. POWELL

Malibu