Dear CCI Readers,

The New York Times has descended into political expediency and pressure for years. Finally, on April 23, the Times printed this article below, chronicling America’s tragic and likely irreversible decline. It comes from Berlin’s NYT Bureau Chief, Katrin Bennhold, a lovely and assertive young woman who can take the hits, if necessary.

This Berlin article may be the turning point in U.S. print media acknowledging and facing the consequences about what America has turned into over the past several decades. A number of elements are dealt with below; some with sadness, some with relief, others still questioning … but the verdict of all seems to be, “what we thought had been … and was, is gone forever.”

Over 1800+ comments to this article were registered following the first few hours after release, thus showing the reader’s concurrence. I read through dozens of them. They carried loss, regret, blame of Trump, deep concern … but none had hope of return to America’s glorious past. To me it seems like a coming-to-grips-with … what is.

My question of the moment is, why has the NYT allowed it to come out in this manner, at this time?

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Dear CCI Friends,

What a strange thing that America’s two major parties, Democrats and Republicans, don’t want to see decent relations between the world’s two great nuclear powers??? Can you believe this?

The article below is written by a third U.S. Party member, a Libertarian. Please scan and ponder … What rational mind could go along with both U.S. parties intentions to create bad relations between two nuclearized giants!

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World Beyond War

Q: How did you take the news of the pandemic?
A: I think I took it the way most people did. Initially, there was hope that it could be controlled, localized. But things took a very different turn and the epidemic spread far and wide. Unprecedented measures and decisions became necessary. Leaders, citizens and international organizations found themselves in an extremely difficult situation. All of this will have to be thoroughly analyzed, but the priority now is to take things in hand and defeat this new, vicious enemy.

Q: How do you assess the measures now being taken?A: The main concern must be people’s security and saving people’s lives. I assume that the steps now being taken are based on science and the advice of the most competent experts. Right now they are practically unanimous that lockdown is necessary. This is something both the authorities and the people must accept. A lot depends on people’s behavior. Utmost responsibility and discipline is of the essence. Then we may hope that the worst could be avoided.

Q: Is it time yet for lessons learned? Do you agree that the world will never be the same?A: That depends precisely on what lessons will be learned. I recall recent history of how we addressed the nuclear threat. We understood that it is our common enemy, a threat to all of us, and the leaders of two nations, the Soviet Union and the United States declared that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Then came Reykjavik and the first treaties eliminating nuclear weapons. By now, 85% of those arsenals have been eliminated. We must continue along this path but we now see new challenges. Together with my friends in the Forum of Nobel Peace Laureates we have for years been calling for a radical rethinking of international politics. Let me quote from out appeal adopted back in 2005:

“Focusing on meeting human needs and having a reverence for life are the foundation of human security. Excessive military expenditures actually breeds insecurity. Two areas where funds need to be channeled by the international community are education and health, particularly regarding the scourges of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through both protection and prevention.” What could one add to this? Just the name of the new dreadful disease.

Over the past five years all we’ve been hearing is talk about weapons, missiles and airstrikes. But is it not clear by now that wars and the arms race cannot solve today’s global problems? War is a defeat, a failure of politics! This common tragedy has reminded us of the futility of trying to go into hiding and sit it out, ignoring the threats that we face. In today’s world, no one can hope to go into hiding!

And so I’ll never tire of repeating: We need to demilitarize world affairs, international politics and political thinking and reallocate funds from military purposes to the purposes serving human security. We need to rethink the very concept of security. Above all else, security should mean providing food, water, which is already in short supply, a clean environment and, as top priority, caring for people’s health.

To achieve human security we need to develop strategies, make preparations, plan and create reserves. This should be the responsibility of national leaders and leaders at all levels.

I believe that preparations should start now for an Emergency Session of the United Nations General Assembly, to be held as soon as the situation is stabilized. It should be about nothing less than revising the entire global agenda.

Q: Could I ask how things have changed for you and for the Gorbachev Foundation?A: Of course we are complying with all requirements and we have had to start working from home. I am communicating with colleagues by phone and we have created a discussion platform on the web. We’ll be adapting to the new circumstances. I’ve been asked to write an additional chapter for the English edition of my book What Is At Stake Now, to account for the new developments. I have agreed and will work on it.

Thanks to Pavel Palazhchenko and Metta Spencer.

Dear CCI Readers,

We made national news this week with an article printed in The National Interest questioning whether NATO is needed in today’s world. Check the 10 reasons we believe NATO is unnecessary and counterproductive now and for the future. In our estimation, it’s a grossly expensive relic that should have been phased out two decades ago.

NATO was created to assure our country’s “hegemony” in perpetuity. However, many understand that we are no longer the world’s “Hegemon.”

We are currently one among a number of power centers that are beginning to be serious global players. Many Americans are among the last to realize that this situation is happening.

Please ponder our rationale and if you think it appropriate, please forward this piece to your colleagues and friends.

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Time
By Mikhail Gorbachev
April 15, 2020

During the first months of this year, we have seen once again how fragile is our global world, how great the danger of sliding into chaos. The COVID-19 pandemic is facing all countries with a common threat, and no country can cope with it alone.

The immediate challenge today is to defeat this new, vicious enemy. But even today, we need to start thinking about life after it retreats.

Many are now saying the world will never be the same. But what will it be like? That depends on what lessons will be learned.

I recall how in the mid-1980s, we addressed the nuclear threat. The breakthrough came when we understood that it is our common enemy, a threat to all of us. The leaders of the Soviet Union and the U.S. declared that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought. Then came Reykjavik and the first treaties eliminating nuclear weapons. But even though by now 85% of those arsenals have been destroyed, the threat is still  there.

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