European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes Anthony Lewis Bush ignoring realities of o changing world when has a president responded so feebly to the Challenge of historic change when has the idea of american leadership been so mocked the communist party is losing its monolithic grip on the soviet Union. Soviet republics arc threatening to break away. Across Central and Eastern Europe Freedom is rising. And How does George Bush respond he goes on a Lour to Campaign for military spending. He asks con Gress for new strategic nuclear weapons systems. He demands 25 percent More Money for Star wars. There is a grotesque Quality to the president s performance a disconnection from reality. The Bush de sense budget for example includes $112 million to put improved Lance Short Range nuclear missiles in West Germany. But the germans have already rejected that idea German politicians arc pressing to reduce nuclear deployments on German soil. A new military planning guide just approved by the Pentagon says that for now we must keep unchanged our estimate of the warning time of a Warsaw pact inva Sion of Western Europe. A Warsaw pact invasion by which armies Poland a Czechoslovakia a is there a inc human being who thinks Warsaw pact forces arc in a position to invade Western Europe for thai Mailer where would the new Lance mis Siles be targeted on Lech Walesa Vaclav Havel Bui the problem is not a matter of details. It lies in the Ision. The understanding of what has happened incr these last months. For 40 years the United Stales and its allies armed 10 resist the soviet Empire. The steadfastness worked Treser ing the West s Freedom against encroachment. Now the Empire is crumbling the satellites have been let go. The sinews of the soviet Union itself Are fraying. The change is the most profound to take place in the world in most of our lifetimes. For the United states to proceed As if nothing has happened or almost nothing is a Folly. James r. Sch Csinger. The former Secretary of defense and Cia director summed it up Well in Tusti Mon last week we must recognize that the International Environ ment has been lransf9rmed. We must not go on doing whal we have done in the past on the premise Why change a successful strategy were we to do so. It would prove self defeating. We would damage our International standing and lose the respect of our rivals the support of our allies and the Confidence of the american  yet that is precisely the impression press Dent Bush Gnes a reluctance to admit that the premises of our National Security policy have changed. He has been arguing in a defensive tone that we must not give Way to impatience in adjusting our policies. William Safire this is not a time to Lay Down our arms his spokesman said the other Day. But no one has remotely suggested that. The Issue rather is whether the United states should build new weapons and maintain forces designed for a different military and political situation. Thus the budget Calls for two new Mobile weapons of mass destruction the my missile put on rails and the Midge than on Road vehicles. The United states has More than 10,000 strategic weapons enough to blow up the world Many times Over. Can there conceivably be reason for More at this time three former chairmen of the joint chiefs of stall have just said that they doubt the need for one orc Ither of those weapons systems. Dick Cheney the Secretary of defense replied that none of them had Given that advice while in office from 1978 to 1989. True. But things have changed. Or consider the question of . Troops in Europe. Bush says the number cannot be Cut below 225,000 that is the  insisting on such a figure Bush is actually making it harder for Mikhail Gorbachev to do what he May Well want to do withdraw Large numbers of soviet troops. Bush is thwarting the urgent desire of the czechs and others to get soviet forces out of their  Republican president who marshalled the West Ern Alliance in its Early Days would not have hesitate to grasp an Opportunity like today s. Dwight Eisenhower did not have to prove his military toughness. He understood that our armed forces must serve realistic political needs not the demands of the military Indus trial Complex or of  have dreamt of a Europe free of soviet forces he might have said. Now that is possible and we will help make it come True by lowering our troop Levels As the soviets lower theirs. And we can lighten the Burden of armaments on our people. We will meet the Chal Lenge of  c new Yolk times soviets trading 1 party Rule for 1 Man Rule just before his fatal heart attack. Andrei Sakharov went before the soviet parliament to plead for an end to the monopoly Power of the communist parly Mikhail Gorbachev shut him up and Cut him off. Now that multiparty dream is becom ing a reality. With the simple presentation to voters of a Choice Between opposing candidates the dead hand of Leninist totalitarianism will be lifted. Sakharov and some of his Reform group had a second goal to break the monopoly of government ownership permitting private property and free markets to generate National wealth. That thrust for economic Freedom was blunted by the politburo Only six week Sago. As Gorbachev agreed with communist ideologues and apparatchiks 19 try a form of Pyrc Stroika that did not give up Central control. Such strangling democratic Central ism was again endorsed by the plenum but a Law permitting the privatization of some property is also on the Agenda a Lillic. And late. Sakharov. Almost alone dared to offer a third goal to make it impossible in the soviet Union for any ruler to have too much Power. Of whal use would a multiparty system and a Market Economy be if their very exis tence depended on the whim of one Man benevolent despotism exists in Moscow Sakharov s main concern remains valid. The fever of democracy the fierce but secret debate about direction the first assemblage of a huge crowd in red Square in 70 years All these thrilling historic events arc taking place concur rent with the consolidation of Power in a single pair of hands. The party s Over cry the Western headlines As if the crumbling of communist party monopoly guaranteed Lusty political Competition for the Job of National Leader. On the contrary the coming Fra Cliona ligation of the party will remove the Las Challenge to one Man control of the government. Centralization of authority has not been Defeated the Center of Power has simply moved across the Hall. Mikhail Gorbachev now has More Power than any Czar More of a personal Ity cull than Stalin. He has undermined the corrupt party and created his own government Hierarchy in which Only the president need not land for Elc Clion. Hello super Czar. Should we rejoice at the results of the Moscow plenum of course. It was one More manifesta Tion of the Victory of capitalism Over communism a Triumph already made Plain everywhere by the difference in Liv ing standards of free and Una acc Peoples. Should we Admire the manipulations of the most daring opportunist of our Century pursued by the wolves of depression and dissension he has tossed the nations of Eastern Europe from the soviet sled. That s admirable but it s not enough the wolves Are catching up. He has to toss Over the heavy arms spending that bogged him Down originally let the Baltic nations slip away to Long deserved Independence and kick weighty Cuba and arms addicted Syria High off the sled. Without those wolves of Neces sity at his heels Gorbachev would not have Felt the urge to spin off the satellites to demobilize some troops to at tack the communist party or introduce the ownership Law. None of that was part of his plan As his Early writing five years of blunders and recent flip hops. Made Clear. Improvising brilliantly the super Czar is at last moving toward a multiparty system Al Home but democracy cannot be dictated one Man Rule no matter How benevolent the despot is no better than one party  ability of a crowd to gather in red Square is just As historic As the secret vote in the meeting Hall that was Tele Vised and will be contagious. Soon we will Sec More crowds protest parades strike supporting demonstrations. Many will be shouting their anger at food shortages and joblessness others at ethnic scapegoats but enough will be de manding More say in their own lives. President Bush is said to be considering a higher profile envoy to Moscow like his fellow texan Robert Strauss. He should choose that sort of direct dealer who can speak frankly about democracy. For political Freedom you need a vigorous organized opposition for eco nomic salvation you Noceo private property and free markets for world cooperation you need to withdraw your troops from Eastern Europe and free the Baltic nations for legitimacy you must make it possible for the people to choose their leaders and have the right to vote them  especially including the presi Dent. C new York to ftps