ABSTRACT
In classic Marxist terms, capitalist relations of production have been significantly, even if not fundamentally, modified by Western societies to facilitate a new revolution in productive forces. When the need for democratization became overwhelming, certain features of Western democratic experience were found to have a far broader importance than being just a cover-up for capitalist diktat. The Soviet campaign for disarmament, started in 1985-86, is interpreted by some Western analysts as a result of the NATO military buildup undertaken since the late 1970s: according to this view, the Soviet Union had to back down in the face of unbearable pressure. One often encounters in Western commentaries on Soviet new thinking the notion that the Soviet military remains wedded to the traditional Soviet views of the West. This stereotype is belied by growing evidence that military leaders in the Soviet Union are also developing new assessments of the international situation and new approaches to providing for the security of the USSR.
