European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 23, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 a the stars and stripes monday july 23,1990 columns William f. Buckley or. P Moscow a Gennadi Gerasimov is the official spokesman of the foreign ministry of the soviet Union. His answers were Given to his visitors without any notice that they were to be off the record or without attribution. The sensation on listening to him was that of a news conference with sen. Jesse Helms in which he touted the Virtues of Marx atheism and pornography. An accredited spokesman for the soviet Union seems to be saying the counter revolution has happened. Most newsworthy is information that divulged by us later the same Day to the american ambassador caught him by Surprise. If or. Gerasimov is to be believed the soviet Union has informed Fidel Castro that his number is about up. To quote q if the cold War is indeed Over How do you justify your continued subsidy of Cuba it Al was the question raised at the communist party Congress a was Cuba discussed at the Congress not so far As i know. It was discussed at the com econ meeting in Sofia bulgarian capital last january. We told the client states that beginning Jan. 1, 1991, All Trade would be in Market prices Between the , and them. The subsidy to Cuba As you know is hidden. It is not in Cash. We buy cuban sugar at prices much higher than the Market Price and sell them Oil at lower than Market. It would be too much to Cut them off tomorrow. That is Why we have set the Date of Jan. 1. Remember now they Are buying our Oil in East Europe at very High prices. Why should we subsidize the cubans when our own Economy is so bad but the government is pretty slow about these things because we cannot drop our obligations tomorrow. If you Promise you must deliver. Q what does the government of the soviet Union anticipate will be its relation with the new Germany a we want to be integrated into the european Economy. We want to be a part of Europe. The Job of learning about the Market is being done at Home. Germany will be our main partner. We want to have relations with everybody a but Germany will be our major economic partner. They Are accepting our managers there for special training As we move from a socialist Economy to a planned Market Economy. We done to know what to do so they Are teaching us the tricks of the Trade q so the foreign ministry of the soviet Union will Cut off its subsidy to the satellites by the end of the year and will seek help from Germany in transforming itself into a a planned Market  and the new soviet Union anticipates close linkage to the new Germany. Isnit All of this distressing to the military a the military they Are divided. The top people Are supporting perestroika. At least they talk that Way. After All it is not theirs to reason Why it is theirs to fight and die. Others occupy the Back seat. But perestroika did create a lot of logistical problems and psychological problems. They a the military a Are being criticized. And they Are not used to criticism. Now that Jim Fain end for Castro soviets it is happening to them they Are unhappy there was actually going to be demobilization. Gen Albert Markashov became instantly famous with his Sharp criticism of perestroika. His speech in the Congress reminded me of a position National review used to take in the late 40s As if China belonged to the United states. Who owns Eastern Europe after All the interrogator wondered out loud where on Earth the soviet military had got the idea that Eastern Europe belonged to the soviet Union. A colleague then asked what did or. Gerasimov anticipate would happen in the ensuing five years a we live in a planned society which Means we done to know what is going to happen tomorrow. In 10 years a seriously a we will be just another member of the european Community prosperous because Pur country is Rich in climates and resources. Everything is Here. Only the system is wrong. Q what about the future of communism a a first we get privatization. That creates an ideological quarrel Between those who read too much Karl Marx a they done to like it a and those others who Are More pragmatic. The More pragmatic people Are saying look principles Are Good where they Are Good where they work. So if the system does not work it must be changed. All of those who read too much Marx Are saying Marx is Good it is simply the applications of marxism that Are bad so we must return to the basics. Well we tried to Combine the socialist sense of Security with Market abundance free health free education and Job Security no unemployment. But All of this was As we discovered at a very Low level. Jobs were there but pay was very Low. Health services were free a but inadequate in Many ways. Education is also free but education is still being criticized. That is Why we have so Many critics of the system. The system created its own critics q the foreign ministry of the soviet Union evidently Abandons marxism if not Karl Marx do gooder. Beyond that Are there problems inherent in the russian character a yes. For 72 years we tried to educate people in egalitarian terms. In your society you try to keep up with the Joneses. In our society somebody sees that his neighbor has a better House and a better salary his Lawn is Greener his wife prettier a he is not blaming himself because he is less successful perhaps he should try harder Start again no. He is trying to put his neighbor Down. Not to catch up with the Joneses but to bring every one Down to the level of the Ivanovs. But a very Strong psychological momentum can build up generated by capitalist thought and perestroika. People Are envious of those who go to private Enterprise and achieve greater Success and higher salaries it is a problem. But we have to count on Success. The new gospel of the soviet Union according to Gennadi Gerasimov official spokesman a uni venal Praia  a the right time for America to come Home Helmut Kohl and Mikhail Gorbachev redrew the map of Europe Over a Glass of schnapps the other Day while president Bush worked the phones to try to find out what was happening. Then he dashed out to Tell reporters the United states deserved a Heap of credit for whatever had. Most of my brother viewers with alarm sent up a Wail that America had lost its leadership in world affairs reflecting the Bush View that unless we re calling the shots abroad somehow our manhood is in question. Poppycock of course and the Pun on Bush a preppie nickname is coincidental if ironically appropriate. Leading the free world was a dubious Honor that caused among other things my 4-year-old son to enter life $10,000 in debt not that it Wasny to Worth it to be born free. Isolationism was not a Safe option in the cold War but we were never comfortable trying to manage the universe nor particularly Good at it. Our perverse strength was our naivete. We did t Rifie the pockets of our prostrate foes an eccentric philanthropy that left them after their initial confusion bereft of the traditional thirst for revenge. Meanwhile the ranch ran Down As we kept plastering it with mortgages to pay for an arms Industry we never Learned to operate economically. If Germany and Russia want to rearrange their Borders and play House for a while let them. Though Well always have to keep an Eye on National Security its time for America to come Home and the nation is More than ready. Well most of us anyway. Unfortunately the politicians never seem to catch up. Aside from tax Breaks for the Rich Bush has no Domestic Agenda. He spent most of his lengthy apprenticeship in the foreign policy bureaucracy and is comfortable there. He actually has opinions if often erroneous ones on such things As China and Eastern Europe. Domestically he strapped in the station Wagon mindset of a Wall Street banker a son. Sen. Bill Bradley d-n.j., and gov. Mario Cuomo of new York occasionally offer tantalizing insights but neither has put together a coherent vision. Their Peers Are As enmeshed in the Appart As Bush mesmerized by process and slaves to the funding needs of i tech electioneering. We have a government of by and for the Rich a travesty somewhat obscured by its leaving most of the grub work to surrogates. Given All that its no Surprise the Home of the Brave is so run Down along with concentration of wealth the last decade has seen creation of a Perma nent underclass an explosion of drug abuse and crime widespread homelessness a Sharp increase in infant mortality erosion of the Middle class and accelerating declines of education and productivity. Along with capital formation which is being eaten up by debt these last two Are the keys to competitiveness m the Post cold War world As sure As democracy is a workable system a and what track record matches d a we re about to turn inward and Start sprucing up the Homestead. Its time to advertise for new ideas and leaders. A if you believe in the human Experiment a and god help you if you done to you know a new set of prophets will crop up soon. History shows Well com them As Long As we can. Then some unexpected crisis will erupt Well embrace them As Savior and a fascinating new Era will Start to unfold. Co me As serv ice