Gorbachev and Soviet Reforms

It never ceases to amaze me just how ignorant our so-called “experts” are when it concerns current activities within the Soviet Union. Someone who certainly should know better, RAND-UCLA Soviet study center’s Arnold Horelick, is of the mistaken mind-set that the Soviet Union is a single country. His statements are to the effect that Gorbachev “is responding to the growing chaos . . . to get some stability and order into the country “ (my emphasis). If Horelick did his homework, he would know that there never existed any stability at all since Russians forced themselves into their neighboring countries. I know that Horelick is referring to rising nationalism. But this is nothing new. Since 1917, when the new Russian empire emerged, there have been nationalist uprisings continuously--some on a large-scale and some on a small-scale. Our well-informed Western press chose not to publicize this.

The Soviet Union was established on an extremely shaky foundation. Frankly, there is no foundation at all. Because this “union” consists of forceably unwilling participants, chaos is simply the nature of things. The more restrictive the Russian government gets with their charges, the more massive the nationalist demonstrations. The Russians can use more powerful tear gas or truncheons, but this just results in a better organized demonstration.

If the Russians had any smarts (and they don’t), they would stop beating the proverbial “dead horse” and give up control of those who will not respond to their bidding. If they do respond, it will be with stronger demonstrations and violence.

STEVE RITTER

Los Angeles