Sure, he talked them out of the Cold War at Helsinki. ROFL!
Beats me, after listening to Kissinger, Cheney and Rumsfeld, Ford did a lot more than what I had ever seen him credited with in terms of establishing significant groundwork. From all I have read though, the Ford team had no use for the Reagan team, and the feeling was mutual. Reagan, reportedly, never once invited Ford to the White House.
Yes, Brezhnev and the Soviets were just QUAKING in fear after Helsinki.
Sure, he talked them out of the Cold War at Helsinki. ROFL!
Right - and next we'll hear that his WIN (Whip Inflation Now) lapel pins did more than Reagan's tax cuts to spur the economic recovery of the 80's.
I kind of like Gate's book, where he makes a good case that through several administrations, somehow, the US presidents put together a consistant effort against the Soviet Union.
In short from a 10 year old memory: The Marshall plan was necessary to rebuild Europe. NATO was necessary to defend Europe. Kennedy's speech was necessary to keet Germany in NATO. Vietnam was necessary to block proxy wars. After the high costs paid by Viet Nam, proxy wars were not popular. Ford's Helsinki accords were exploited by Carter in his frequent speeches on Human Rights. Without that emphasis on Human Rights, the Evil Empire speech of Reagan would have made no sense.