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(5) Communism s grip on its people is constantly weakening, in part due to new techniques in communications.
(6) The monolithic world Communist movement of the 1950s, based on shared dogma and obedience to Moscow, is gone. Many Communist parties, Yugoslav, Italian, French, Chinese, insist on following their own paths and openly criticize the Soviets.
For all these reasons and more, Brezinski concludes, “. . . this not only signals the general crisis of communism, but also foreshadows its fading as a major political force in the contemporary world.”
That sounds wonderful! If true, we need worry no longer. Much less can be spent for defense; forget such slogans as “Better Red than dead,” as neither will occur. Is the situation really that rosy? Listen first to the other side, to the reasons why some think Communism is entering its most threatening, dangerous phase.
(1) First, the reasoning goes, current economic and political activity was forecast by Lenin. “We will launch the greatest peace offensive the world has ever seen,” he wrote, before his death in 1924. “The capitalists w ill fall over themselves to accept our proposals. . . . When they are sufficiently weakened, we will smash them with our clenched fist.”
(2) Nor is this the first time the Communists have cozied up to the hated capitalists. In 1921 the Russian economy was nearly at a standstill. Lenin recognized the danger and
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