A GRAND COMPROMISE
Learn to Live with Differences
PRESIDENT Reagan’s visit to Moscow was a prominent event of 1988. Previously, President Reagan had been calling the USSR an ‘evil empire.’ Then, he thought better to develop amicable relations with this once spurned adversary.
Since the Marxist-inspired revolution of 1917 which was based on the concept of class struggle, the USSR kept on spreading the doctrine of communism—in much the same way as the USA continued to sponsor the ideas of capitalism. This engendered deep fear and suspicion between the two countries, which culminated into fierce rivalry–a rivalry which lasted for over 60 years. This period of tension between the two countries, known as Cold War, lasted more than four decades. The results, however, demonstrate beyond any shadow of a doubt that this policy was of no utility to either of them.
After spending billions and billions of dollars and rubles on war weapons, both countries realized that they could not harm each other without harming themselves.
New ideas began to take shape in both countries. It was this new thinking which compelled Gorbachev to visit the USA, and Reagan to follow suit by visiting Moscow.
Time magazine (May 30, 1988) called this new tendency in the two countries “a grand compromise.” An official of the USSR, pointing out how their respective policies had until recently been aimed at harming each other, explained that a ‘solution-oriented’ policy has now been adopted.
In modern times, a policy of confrontation is so much of a luxury that not even the superpowers can continue to afford it.
There is great lesson to be learned from this incident. It shows that in modern times, a policy of confrontation is so much of a luxury that not even the superpowers can continue to afford it. This new awareness can teach both India and Pakistan a valuable lesson.
Unfortunately, both India and Pakistan are still bent on following the same policy of confrontation, albeit on a smaller scale than that followed by the great powers. Both these countries need to learn this lesson. These two neighbours should enter into a ‘grand compromise’ to end all confrontations in the same way that the superpowers have adopted a ‘solution-oriented policy'.