> 2) Did not George Kennan in his original anonymous
>article on containment raise the possibility of an eventual
>evolution of the Soviet system as a response?
IIRC, yes. And that was one reason that the policy was originally
supposed to be one of "containment" and not of "confrontation."
> >You say, further, that Soviets were ideologically optimistic and
>>triumphalist through at least the Khrushchev era, maybe through the 1960s.
>>Ian would extend that through 1986. I think this is not true. K did believe
>>that "we will bury you," but he was quite clear that he was a great fan of
>>peaceful coexistence, and the triumph of communism would come through proof
> >of its economic superiority--not military force.
I had always thought that that phrase was a mistranslation. "We will
bury you" implies that we will do something to cause your demise, and
then gleefully fill in the grave above your coffin. IIRC, the Russian
is much more "we will outlive you."
Brad DeLong
