Reigans un Gorbačovs. Kā beidzās aukstais karš

by Jack F. Matlock, Jr., Sandra Rutmane (Translator), Māris Ābele (Designer)

Profesionālais diplomāts Džeks F. Metloks, jaunākais, pirmoreiz norīkots strādāt Maskavā 1961. gadā, pārstāvēja Amerikas pusi uz politiskās skatuves lielāko daļu aukstā kara laika. Prezidents Reigans Krievijas vēstures un kultūras speciālistu Metloku izvēlējās svarīgajam vēstnieka amatam Padomju Savienībā. Darbā Reigans un Gorbačovs Džeks F. Metloks sniedz aculiecinieka stāstu par to, kā, pasludinot cilvēci par uzvarētāju, beidzās aukstais karš. Metloks izdzīvoja vēsturi: viņš bija nozīmīga figūra, kas veicināja aizvien pozitīvāku nostāju Reigana izlīguma politikā ar Padomju Savienību. Izmantojot savus pierakstus, nesenas intervijas ar ietekmīgām personām un arhīvu avotus, Metloks piedāvā skatījumu no iekšpuses uz divu tālredzīgu cilvēku vadīto diplomātisko kampaņu.

�“Diplomātija ir Metloka spēles lauks, un šajā grāmatā nevainojamu mācību gūs šā mākslas veida pētnieki. Grāmata Reigans un Gorbačovs iemūžina amerikāņu diplomātijas triumfa laiku un posmu padomju�amerikāņu uzvarā pār pusgadsimtu ilgušo dārgo un pilnīgi neauglīgo sāncensību.�”

Robert Kaiser, The Washington Post

“Metloks � Reigana padomnieks padomju un Eiropas lietās un vēlāk vēstnieks Padomju Savienībā � raksta svarīgu un nopietnu pārskatu par to, kā attīstījās Amerikas un padomju līderu attiecības.

Autora apgalvojums, ka Reigans bija piekāpīgāks un vairāk ieinteresēts mazināt saspīlējumu ar PSRS [nekā pieņemts domāt par Reiganu], šķiet ticams.

Metloka uzskati par Gorbačovu ir tikpat saistoši: Gorbačovs liekas nopietns marksisma dogmas sekotājs, kamēr viņa godprātīgie un cilvēciskie instinkti vada viņu prom no doktrīnu pilnajiem kolēģiem Kremlī. Viņš � simpātisks tēls, kas, šķiet, nojauš to, ka viņš prezidē bojāejai nolemtu sistēmu, kura kļuvusi nepiemērota pilsoņu vajadzībām.

Šo divu cilvēku cīkstēšanās, lai tiktu galā gan viens ar otru, gan ar dažiem nepakļāvīgiem padomdevējiem, veido neatvairāmu stāstu.”

Jay Freeman, American Library Association

Genres: History, Politics, Russia, Nonfiction, American History, Soviet Union, Presidents

366 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Frank Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this book after seeing videos of Matlock recently talking about the reasons for the current situation in Ukraine. I found it to be a very interesting account of Reagan’s dealings with Gorbachev, written from the unique perspective of an insider who was intimately involved in drafting some of the agreements concerned. Since I was involved in the campaign against Cruise and Pershing missiles and later against Reagan’s SDI there was a lot here that interested me. One of the surprising things about that period was that after denouncing the Soviet Union as the “evil empire” Reagan went on to make an arms control treaty with them, and Matlock’s account explains in some detail how this happened, and which forces were pitted against them in the pursuit of it (Caspar Weinberger etc.)

Although the book functions well as a blow by blow historical record, Matlock’s general “we are the good guys” attitude is a bit naive. He complains that the Russians refused to accept SDI in spite of the fact that Reagan’s intentions were entirely benign, but Reagan’s intentions were really beside the point once such a system was put in place, similarly when he talks about the Euromissiles he talks about counting systems in the Soviet Union and Europe as though those systems were equivalent, and he doesn’t seem to realize that what brought the European people out on the streets was not the number of systems but the fact that systems in Europe remained under US control and could be used to fight a limited nuclear war in Europe. Reagan probably was well intentioned, and probably did want to usher in a new era of peace for the world, but after he went he was replaced by what GH Bush (the elder) called in his memoirs the “iron assed” faction of Cheney and Rumsfeld whose policies led to the second Gulf War and the eastward expansion of NATO which scuppered any hopes of a lasting peace in Europe.

So I definitely recommend this book as an account of the history involved, but the reader should bear in mind that it’s not about the intention, in geopolitics as in chess you’re not playing the man you’re playing the board.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating look behind the scenes, so to speak, of a pivotal time in our world's history.