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R. H. S. CROSSMAN
Communist prejudices are reinforced from West Germany. The
disintegration of the eastern block, he points out, and the growth of
polycentrism are providing the West with unrivaled opportunities for
new diplomatic initiative, designed not merely to relax tension with the
Soviet Union, but to increase the freedom of the East European
satellites. Yet he sadly admits that as a result of American and German
immobilism, the West's room for maneuver has become extremely
small: indeed, there is no practical chance that any of these great
opportunities will
be
seized unless the United States succeeds in re–
solving the conflict in Washington between the coexistence policy of the
White House, and the Congressional anti-Communist crusade.
"If
what we require," he concludes,
is a new national debate, and something like a public show–
down to clarify these questions and permit this country to
speak with a clear and unequivocal voice in world affairs, then
let us not postpone this debate any longer. This is a question
of fundamentals. Whichever way you cut it, someone--and
by that I mean one of the two great bodies of thought in our
country-is terribly, tragically, and intolerably wrong.
If
we
are to move ahead effectively, the country will have to make
up its mind which it is.
Since he spoke these words at Princeton last winter, the public
showdown has begun. In the course of defeating Goldwater, there is
a chance for the American people to make up its mind. Of course
every effort will be made by those who control both political machines,
to avoid such a clear-cut intellectual conflict. Already the movement
toward the middle of the road, which is a regular feature of the
modern democratic election campaign, has got under way. Mr. John–
son is making sure that no one can call him "soft on communism,"
and Mr. Goldwater remains discreetly quiet while the moderate Re–
publicans assure us he does not mean what he used to say. Neverthe–
less, we must hope that the social forces and political attitudes repre–
sented by his candidacy will be articulated, and that his defeat
will justify the democratic process by clarifying issues instead of ob–
scuring them.
From this point of view,
Suicide of the West
2
comes as a godsend.
Even before he became the Republican candidate, Mr. Goldwater was
not the kind of politician who expressed himself in terms of coherent
doctrine.
It
is highly convenient, therefore, that James Burnham should
2. James Burnham,
Suicid. of
th. W.st.
John Day. $5.95.