ABSTRACT
The first measures of any "gradualist strategy for peace" would be a series of limited, unilateral gestures offered by one side without any requirement for reciprocity by the other in order to begin building the basis for communication and trust. Arms control was thus a necessary but incomplete step in the gradualist strategy, a way station allowing for freezing further acquisition of weapons, but as part of an overall effort at their ultimate abolishment. Etzioni stated that gradualism was a "maximum gain, minimum regret" strategy. While gradualism could deal with the geopolitics, he also expected a lessening of ideological tensions as both sides found greater points of convergence. The ideas behind gradualism and graduated reciprocation in tension reduction began to find their way not only into the public discourse but also into the policy debate within the US government. Many of the arguments that had been advanced as critiques of the gradualist program were again deployed in opposition to detente.
