Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Father Terrence who wrote (86235)	8/23/2000 7:30:02 PM
From: jbe	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

Any man gullible enough back then to take the Soviet Union's word on anything should not have been Commander-in-Chief. Then why did we conclude arms control treaties (the Salt Agreements) with the Soviet Union? Actually, when the Cold War ended,and the Soviet Union finally collapsed, many long-time Washington insiders (I remember Eagleburger in particular) confessed to a certain nostalgia for the "good old days": the Soviet Union had been, at least, "predictable." If you lie about everything, you are, by definition, unpredictable. Personally, I would say that the Soviet leaders definitely concealed a lot, which is not quite the same thing as lying a lot.

To: Father Terrence who wrote (86235)	8/23/2000 8:03:36 PM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 108807

I'm not sure why you don't get it - that was a public statement. The fact that you have made it into a geopolitical policy truism notwithstanding, the appearance of surprise owes to the fact that he probably was surprised. Again, I ask, what would you have considered a good public response? "The CIA and Department of State got caught with their pants down?" Both, populated by career security people and diplomats, many of whom are probably still there. And that wasn't Sam Donaldson's look of surprise, he ALWAYS looks like that. Reagan looked really surprised when Hinkley shot him too from what I saw of the video tape. If Sam Donaldson asked him "Mr. President, what did you think when got shot?" He would have probably said what most people say when they are shot, or shot at, "I couldn't believe it was happening." Sam COULD have had that same (always surprised) look and said, "WHY NOT, you're the President of the U.S. Why didn't you expect it? It's not like we don't have assasinations here!" The fact is that this was a period of decreasing tensions with the Soviet Union. People were beginning to visit there. My grandmother did. Since you weren't in the discussion it seems that you'd be unlikely to know how surprised he was or should have been.