ABSTRACT
The United States and the whole West are facing particularly hard times. Detente between the superpowers has come to a standstill; world peace is in jeopardy, and mistakes can be more hazardous than ever before. The time has come to speak as candidly as possible, to avoid dangerous misunderstandings among Western partners and allies. The aggressive thrust of Soviet military power, the Mideast diplomatic and political turmoil, the skyrocketing prices and the scarcity of oil, the galloping worldwide inflation, and the strains on the international monetary system have drastically changed the global situation and made the economic and social position of Europe much more difficult. Debate on the advantages and dangers of trade with Russia is indeed a perennial issue, which even predates the establishment of Soviet power. The creation of the Soviet state, and its reluctant recognition by the capitalist nations, gave the debate new impetus.
