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Beyond the Cold War

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick
America and the World 1989
Summary -- 

Gorbachev's reforms have ended communist totalitarianism at home and the dream of total power in the world. Soviet policy in Europe faces two alternatives (1) to seek to maintain the division of Europe (2) to sacrifice the GDR for "a unified but neutral Germany, with the expectation that a neutral Germany would mean the end of NATO and of the US military presence in Europe". This latter course would re-create Germany as a major power, and "establish a Europe with the Soviet Union as its strongest power". It would also deprive the USA of superpower status, and force an abdication of cherished influence in Europe and Asia. See also Jeane Kirkpatrick 'As Europe changes durably, some of the instability is welcome' IHT 30 Jan 1990 p4 (ex-LAT).

Jeane J. Kirkpatrick is Leavy Professor of Government at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. She is author of a forthcoming book, The Withering Away of the Totalitarian State.

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