Gaddis Chapter 5

Section 1: The UN

-Wilson wants the League of Nations to push legal constraints onto citizens.

-Truman wants global governance, carries Tennyson’s “Parliament of Man, Federation of World” passage.

-UN can only act when most powerful members agree. Ends up being debating society instead of helpful group.

-UN passes human rights declaration in December 1948.

Section 2: Spread of Red/CIA

-Americans confident they can beat SU.

-Italy’s election in April 1948, concerns about spread of red.

-CIA established, finances opposing parties in Italy, beat communists at polls.

-CIA grows. Kennan later regrets recommendation.

Section 3: Ethics of Espionage

-Doolittle Report wants Americans to become familiar with a SU philosophy.

-Rumors of American involvement in Iran and Guatemala.

-Shah of Iran consolidates repressive regime, US has no control.

-Ethics of espionage debates. Americans realize that their leaders lie.

-Johnson thinks Americans have to stay in Vietnam to beat Cold War. Postpones choosing between “Great Society” and Vietnam War.

Section 4: Credibility Gaps

-Nixon inherited situation, made it worse. “Without secrecy…no ending Vietman War” and other things like China, SALT. Uses secrecy to conduct foreign policy.

-Spring 1969, Nixon orders Cambodia bombing, keeps explanation secret.

-“Credibility gaps” for Johnson & Nixon.

-October 1970, Allende takes Chile. Nixon “respects”.

-June 1971, Ellsberg turns over Pentagon Papers to New York Times.

-Nixon puts together staff to fix, “Plumbers”. He resigns August 1974.

Section 5: Nixon & CIA

-Nixon doesn’t believe N. Vietnamese will willingly cease-fire.

-Watergate had weakened Nixon. Passed War Powers Act to limit military deployments with no Congressional consent.

-CIA director Colby says that CIA broke its own rules about international interference.

-Chile is a problem. Military coup September 1973. US acted there like they did in Iran and Guatemala.

-Congress prohibits potential “daylight tests” failures, not justifiable to public.

Section 6: Kissinger & Nuclear Risk

-White House, Pentagon, CIA not above own laws.

-Mutual Assured Destruction, inhumane to put civilians at risk of nuclear annihilation.

-US didn’t violate human rights like SU, Mao, other Europeans did.

-Détente was to lower nuclear risk, encourage relationship with Cold War rivals, recover.

-Kissinger keeps saying that legitimacy is not justice.

-Kant wants universal justice.

-SU makes emigrants pay to leave. Kissinger protests Trade Reform Act.

Section 7: Historical Infallibility

-Khrushchev reveals that Lenin/Stalin enslaved more than liberated, SU satellites are behind US and capitalists in terms of prosperity.

-Psychological effect: people in SU defer to Marxist-Leninist doctrine publicly but do not believe or follow it.

-Communists rule from “historical infallibility” but are losing it.

-Brezhnev says SU will continue but will concede NATO’s permanence. Wants NATO/US to ratify post-WWII stuff in Europe.

-Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, July 1975.

Section 8:

-People think Ford/Kissinger abandoned human rights causes.

-Helsinki is a liability because of leaked comments. Ford concerned about condemnations by Reagan and Carter. Helsinki is a “legal and moral trap”.

-Havel goes to prison, chronicles “disillusionment with communism”.

-Wojtyla was progressively a priest, arch-bishop, cardinal, and then pope (non-italian and young!). He is Pope John Paul II.

-“We want God!”

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