European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 18, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes saturday october 18,1986 columns David Broder Reagan a pragmatist or a True believer in ski on a weekend of one run and extra inning playoff games with teams in both leagues Heing turned from winners into loser by a single swing of the Bat it was sadly appropriate that the Glimmer of Hope for deep cuts in nuclear weapons went out inc window As fast As you can say the Iceland Summit Between president Reagan and soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev was a lost Opportunity. You had Only to look at Secretary of stale George Shultz s desolate countenance to know thai his emotions were twins to those Boston reliever Calvin Schiraldi fit when he let Bobby Orich drive in the winning run for California in the saturday night struggle. Whether Sulu and Reagan will have a Chance for Quick redemption As Schiratti and Boston Gol sunday seems very doubtful. For inc moment inc latest meet ing of a Merican and soviet Leaden stands As testament to at those warnings we have heard Over the years of the risks of Hasty ill prepared summits. Sen. Sam Nunn. A a. The most respected voice on arms control issues in Congress olt Rcd the judgment that Reagan and his team were taken unawares by the russian proposal that both sides Cut their nuclear forces in half and that their response was anything but Well considered. Nunn questioned whether inc . Joint chiefs of staff would have endorsed Reagan s proposal to eliminate All nuclear weapons in 10 years Given the russian advantage in conventional infantry tanks and artillery. Nunn also said that Reagan seemed to have shifted his main goal from immediately reducing offensive weapons an area where Russia May be Superior James Kilpatrick 10 preserving inc possibility of the strategic defense initiative sch someday becoming an Invulnerable shield again nuclear attack. The georgian has sup ported ski research funds in the face of significant scientific scepticism about the feasibility of the pro Cess Bui even he said it looks to me like the thing is out of As one Wilh limited expertise in these mailers i would just say that the arms control area is one where the supposedly Strong presidency of Ronald Reagan has most often Hunn exposed to evident pulling and hauling. My belief for four years has been that Reagan was sincere in his desire for effective arms control but hat he had no Clear idea How to get there or even How to control those elements in his own administration which Are determined to prevent any agreement which would slow the Pace of the american nuclear buildup. The first term evidence for this proposition is Best summarized in Strobe Talbott s excellent Book deadly the second term evidence can be found in dozens of newspaper clippings reporting continued infighting among the Pentagon the stale department and the National Security Council Over the terms and Liming of Reagan s initiatives and responses to the soviet Union s sophisticated arms control Diplo Macy at the Bottom of All the arguments is a debate which historians ultimately will have to attempt to resolve is Reagan really a shrewd pragmatist just wailing to extract inc last Concession before making his Deal or is he in ideologue a True believer in some propositions who will go Down fighting for his beliefs i lean to the second proposition feeling that Reagan is like Horton the elephant in the or. Seuss tale he meant what he said and he said what he meant and an elephant s faithful 100 on inc Issue of ski s feasibility. Reagan is As optimistic As he is about he Economy and the deficit. The deficit will disappear the Economy will grow forever and by the same Alchemy of spirit laser beams and particles and technologies yet undreamed of will Stop nuclear ballistic missiles in their flight. Credo Ergo a. I believe therefore it is. I also suspect that he sees ski As his ultimate memo rial bigger and More precious even than the washing ton Monument. What a dream. And what a dreamer. Among the sceptics in is popular to say that Reagan is demonstrating the Stubb Niess of an old Man i refusing to yield on ski but it is More accurately seen As the passion of the convert. A former Democrat he 1 now the nation s no. 1 Republican cheerleader. He discovered Supply Side economics Only in 1979-80. In is hard to remember now that Jack Kemp and co. Were nol sure whether Reagan would even be an ally in the presidential Campaign. But be has adhered fanatically to his belief in lower and Ever lower tax rates whatever the consequences. Ski came into his life Only Halfway through his first term and in Iceland he demonstrated it is now his passion. One can Only Hope the legacy of the Reagan Yean turns out to be something other than the soaring deficits and the escalating arms race that now engulf us
