U. profs speak on U.S.-Soviet relations

The Cold War may be over, but the debate rages on. In the two hour forum titled "United States Foreign Policy in a Unipolar World: Implications of the New World Order," the professors explained how U.S. foreign policy will change in light of the recent upheavals in the Soviet Union. Trachtenberg began the symposium by warning that despite the fact that the Cold War has ended, "We can't count on having entered into the blue seas of perpetual peace." Trachtenberg presented two European foreign policy options open to the U.S. One option is the perpetuation of the status quo, with a U.S. military presence in Europe and the continued inavailability of nuclear arms for Germany. The other option is a complete withdrawal of military presence from Europe. Trachtenberg said he prefers the first option, that of continued American involvement. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," he said. The associate History professor also said that the end of the Cold War has altered the bargaining power previously held by the Middle East countries. Professor Rubinstein continued the political analysis, reasserting that the changes in the Soviet Union will have a large impact on American foreign policy. Rubinstein said that the unusual nature of the times was shown by the unilateral announcements cutting down on nuclear weapons made by both President Bush and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. But Rubinstein added that there is a fear the Soviet republics have nuclear weapons. He said that any "rogue element" of these hard-pressed republics could take advantage of the current political unrest to acquire nuclear weapons and sell them abroad for cash. Rubinstein next addressed the issue of the lack of Soviet leadership. "Gorbachev has about as much influence in the USSR as I do at the University of Pennsylvania, and I can assure you that that's very slight," he said with a smile. Rubinstein added that the recent coup attempt in the Soviet Union was feeble at best. "That coup could have been better managed by any undergraduate group on campus," he said. Trachtenberg and Rubinstein then fielded questions on military preemptive strikes, the role of the United Nations in a post-Cold War context, and the option of the Star Wars program from the over 40 students at the symposium. Students said they enjoyed the symposium. "I found Professor Rubinstein's comments to be especially insightful . . . his and Professor Trachtenberg's analyses left too many open questions, though," said College junior Yvette Saint-Andre. "A continuation of this discussion is definitely needed."

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