European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns the stars and stripes . Rosenthal West must heed soviet fears on United Germany finally. In inc death crisis of soviet communism profound truths Are being spoken in Moscow by some of the leaders who now struggle to remain Politi Cally alive. But they arc truths Many in the West do not want to hear now. One of these historic realities undermines a particular fantasy about the Gorbachev Era that West Ern political leaders and specialists on the soviet Union cherished and preached. The other even More important truth is painful for the West to listen to because it Calls upon our politicians religious is dvrs and intellectuals to confront what they Nave been Loo frightened or weak to face honestly a future in which a United Germany is the most powerful nation on Earth. The soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze is one Man who has spoken both these truths As Mik Hail Gorbachev found himself forced by communism s utter failure to abandon his Long struggle to maintain the communist party As the Only political Power in the nation. First with the Broom of truth Shevardnadze brushed aside the position so fervently and often put Forward in the West that the communist tyranny be came threatened Only when Gorbachev took Power and that inc struggle depended entirely upon him. It was an argument used to demand that Gorba Chev be supported virtually without question even when All he had to offer was the matchstick Structure of ineffective half Steps he called perestroika. If those who suffered under communism had no known better and rejected the argument Gorbachev would not have had to agree to end the soviet party s exclusive Power. The communist system was torn Down said Shevardnadze not by Gorbach Vian perestroika but by inc will of Peoples no longer willing to put up with violence. He said that inc undermining of Faith in a social ism based on suppression and violence began in the 1940s, not in 1985," when Gorbachev came to Power. This is a Kremlin a Mouth refutation of an attempt in the West to rewrite hist9ry. To wipe out the importance of a half Century of dissident underground Battle against soviet despotism to insist contemptuously that inc very idea of a red menace has to be re thought As if it never existed for those who suffered. No doubt inc rewriting will continue. Credibility and career Rice bowls arc involved. Shevardnadze also spoke the truth about Germany. While Western leaders arc accepting and abetting the Swift inevitability of a United Germany he cried wait what about inc sinister shadows of the past let s talk about them let inc whole world talk about them. Mary Mcgrory a a couple of Days later the cry of alarm went up from a Leader of the conservative opposition to Gorbachev. Yegor k. Migachev spoke of the danger of accelerated reunification and of a new Munich and demanded Hal inc soviet people be told about himself is deliberately murky about Ger Many perhaps because he thinks the West will never acknowledge the dangers. In that Case he May do about the germans what his aide said he did about the Sovie fighters against communist monopoly if you can t Cal them join meanwhile in would be politically criminal for the West 19 ignore the warnings about Germany from both sides in the Moscow soviet Union and the West both tried once to appease nazi Germany. Both failed and paid inc Price. The Wisl May be ready to slap its lederhosen in Greal Good spirit but in the Soviel Union memories of world War ii arc acutely alive As is fear Ofa Germany leaders say Don t worry a United Germany will be anchored in nato and restrained within the Western economic anybody really believe that garbage that 10 or 12 years from now if the germans want to Cut out for some political or economic expansionism they will submit to being anchored by an outdated Alliance or restrained by Western economics that by then will be economically dependent on the new United Reich the goal is not to Slop German unification for Ever. The goal is for All neighbors and victims of on United Germany to be heard on the timing and conditions for the creation Ofa new United Germany. Maybe somebody will even be courageous enough to raise questions about guarantees and accountability maybe even somebody in the West. The soviet people cannot do this one alone c a Wyo Titan soviet citizens letters sound All too familiar Washington on oct. 13. In inc ice tors to Lac Zdilor columns of in a Celia and pravda. The president of peace links. Betty bumpers addressed a Sim ple question to soviet readers would they like to correspond with americans of the same age and interests would they Ever. Four thousand let ters have come to the office of peace links an organization dedicated to the prevention of nuclear War. And they Are still pouring in at the rate of so per Day. To dip into the Stream is to catch a glimpse of individual soviet lives and attitudes and no end of Good will. It seems the russians wanted to be in touch All along. Now thai they arc allowed to be. They want to know everything. What they Tell us about themselves in their carefully written English is that icy have been led perhaps by Rock lyrics to think thai Wanna is acceptable for want they struggle with the definite article the preposition and the contradiction processes that Mikhail Gorbachev introduced into their for Merly quiet lives. Says a cheerful 30-year-old Divorcee a videotape Engineer named incs a Cher Nova of Kiev now Only fishes Aren t arguing sic about they Are concerned about the Environ ment particularly in the Ukraine particularly since the Accident at chernobyl. Helen Paskvich of Minsk a school teacher thinks that the ecological prob Lem is the sharpest now in our Republic. We cannot Pul off decision because health and lives of our children depend on the decision. Meetings and marches of thousands of people demand the authorities to act. But not Only to my Opin Ion their actions arc too sect Alana Kiu Stuch of Kiev has a 4 year old son who is suffering from a blood disorder caused by fallout from chernobyl. She pleads with Betty bump ers to help her get . Medical care for her child. Ivan Mironov a Minsk War Veter an i fought against our common enemy the German fascists on the tanks of your country Sherman " Hopes some american doctor could advise him about treatment for Isch Amicus Ann Kurochkina a 45-year-old ecological researcher wants to find her old schoolmate from Moldavia we Sal at the same desk together. We read the Sam books and we least the world together who emigrated to America to St. Paul in 1973. Tanya stopped to write me be cause she was afraid i might have troubles. For Many years our country was in the slate of gloom social sleep so the fears of Tanya were based on reality. Many positive changes took place in user she adds. Our country is really Lucky to have such a Leader As Mikhail she Doest know much Aboul America. For me in is country of Mark twin sic and Wall we Atman sic the writers with great and Lender also admires our technical achieve ment and is grateful for the Perkin Elmer Spect Roppolo Meler Hal she uses in her work to her everyday Serge Dracho a 27-year-old unmarried Kirovograd non smoker who would like a woman correspond Cal i think you won l find Hal unnatural thinks that peace is no double important but frankly speaking in s our economic problems Hal people Are More concerned Yuri Kitsch pc a 38-year-old mechanical Engineer thinks the gravest threat comes from separatism and nationalism and can Lead to world War the focus is narrower for Irona mama Nova who stays Home with her iwo Lillic daughters because she docs nol wish to give our Daugh Lars in the children s Gar of our problems arc con necking Wilh upbringing our children. Are you worring sic the future of your children. How Are you important ing sic the problems of the struggle for crime and aids in your country Valery Klaus a 28-year-old Shact Metal stamping Engineer explains Wilh some irony the pre glasnost attitudes. Many years we were sure that nato countries waited the Opportunity for nuclear assault against the Sovie Lunion. This is deserts sic of our propaganda of course. Bui for All i know you mass Media did l picture impartially inc Soviel people he cells How he avoided the virulent Anli americanism of the Lime As for me i can confirm Hal i did t feel the sense of hostility to american people. Evidently inc cause consisted in my in Lerest to medieval history of England during the studies in the school. Alfred the great Henry a Richard of Yor Cromwell Are the outstanding personalities makes a Good Case for Reading and also for writing tellers c in fam Tal pro Syndicate
