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Posted on 09/28/2004 10:32:29 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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ARMS TALKS In 1976, Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev promised to reduce East-West tensions. But within four years those promises turned to anger and mistrust. The Cold War was far from over.  Jimmy Carter and Leonid Brezhnev Secretary of State Cyrus Vance went to Moscow with a set of proposals -- one which called for radical cuts in arsenals well below the 1974 levels. But the Soviets bluntly rejected the initiative. At home, Carter and Vance promoted the talks as a positive move. But the public wondered whether the new White House team was up to the task of managing U.S.-Soviet affairs. Carter's proposed 3 percent increase in defense spending did little to deter the view among some that America was losing the arms race -- especially since the Soviets were still pouring resources into their military build-up. HUMAN RIGHTS In the era of détente, the issue of human rights gained attention on both sides of the Iron Curtain. In 1975 in Helsinki, 35 nations -- including the United States and U.S.S.R. -- signed a declaration on human rights. Meanwhile, Czech dissidents secretly drew up Charter 77, a human rights document that was smuggled to the West. Activists in the communist bloc set up Helsinki Watch Committees to monitor and publicize abuses. But the Soviets did not feel bound by the Helsinki Accords and persecuted the dissidents, many of whom ended up in KGB prisons -- or in mental hospitals, where mind-control drugs were used to make them recant.  Students held rallies and picketed the Russian Embassy while declaring a hunger strike to support refusniks. Jews were a distinctive group among the dissidents -- claiming the right to leave the Soviet Union. Many were refused exit visas and became known as refuseniks. Those who campaigned for their rights were often sent to forced labor camps for years. In 1979, the prominent refusenik Anatoly Sharansky was sentenced to 13 years for espionage and treason. Outside the court, supporters defiantly publicized his case to the Western media -- triggering forceful protests in the West. The evidence of human rights abuse inflamed anti-Soviet feeling in America. SALT II As Moscow and Washington clashed over human rights, they also stepped up negotiations for a new arms limitation treaty -- SALT II. One issue not on the SALT II agenda was the Soviets' decision to deploy the SS-20, a new medium-range nuclear missile that targeted Western Europe. West Germany and other NATO allies were alarmed. Instead of making the SS-20s an issue during the SALT II negotiations, the United States pursued a twin-track policy: America would develop its new generation of missiles and allow Moscow three years to negotiate limits on medium-range missiles. If no deal was reached, America would station its cruise and Pershing nuclear missiles in Europe -- and target Soviet cities. Fear of missiles in their backyard created a new mood of resistance among Western Europeans.  By June 1979, the superpowers had agreed to new limits on strategic arms -- completing the SALT II treaty. Carter and Brezhnev met for the first time when they came to Vienna to sign the agreement. Soviets viewed the treaty as a way to limit arms production -- and improve their civilian economy. But in America, the pact was condemned by the political right for not imposing limits on the development of new weapons systems. Ultimately, SALT II would fail to gain congressional approval. MALAISE Increasingly, Carter was charged with being soft on the Soviets. His critics pointed to Soviet expansionism in Angola and the Horn of Africa. They warned that U.S. oil supplies were threatened. Then the Shah of Iran was overthrown. Islamic fundamentalists, led by the Ayatollah Khomeini, took over the oil-rich country. A siege of the U.S. Embassy ended with all diplomats taken hostage. A failed rescue attempt sealed America's humiliation.  In America, the loss of Iran led to long lines at the pump. The economy was slowing down. The blame fell on Carter, further damaging his prestige. Then the Soviets struck in Afghanistan -- essentially bringing an end to dŽtente. Carter, who saw the invasion as part of a wider Soviet plan, gave up hope of Congress approving SALT II. He organized punitive sanctions against the U.S.S.R., including a boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics -- a gesture that proved futile and unpopular. World affairs ultimately influenced the 1980 U.S. presidential election. Carter faced difficult odds: The economy was slack, Americans were still hostage in Iran, the Soviets were still in Afghanistan. Carter himself saw a growing spirit of "malaise" in the country. His opponent, Republican Ronald Reagan, won the election by a large margin -- in part by promising much tougher policies against Moscow. SOLIDARITY In Poland, the Soviets faced a fresh challenge. The Polish economy was in crisis, shortages were everywhere, Western loans had been squandered and the country was burdened by international debt. In the midst of the crisis, the new pope, Karol Wojtyla, visited his homeland -- and called on his flock to retake control of their destiny.  Lech Walesa and Solidarity Inspired by John Paul II's message, workers at the Gdansk shipyard staged an illegal strike in the summer of 1980 -- after the government yet again raised food prices. The strikers drew up a 21-point list of demands and refused to leave the shipyard until the demands were met. The government decided to negotiate and eventually agreed to the workers' key demands -- among them the right to strike. Intellectuals joined the workers in forming a new movement -- Solidarity. As support for Solidarity spread throughout the world, the movement became increasingly defiant. Moscow watched with growing alarm. MARTIAL LAW By December 1980, Soviet pressure on the Polish leadership was intense. Warsaw Pact forces were massed around Poland's borders. The message was clear: Curb Solidarity or else. American concern grew as Brezhnev pressed Poland's leader, Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski, to plan countermeasures.  Meanwhile, the hard-line policies of the new U.S. president, Ronald Reagan, boosted morale in Poland, where Solidarity had 9 million supporters fighting for economic reform and political rights. Strikes gripped the country. On December 2, 1981, in a warning to Solidarity, riot police crushed a firemen's strike. Ten days later, Solidarity met to plan a nationwide strike. But that night, the Polish government sent in the army, arrested Solidarity's leaders and banned the trade movement. Jaruzelski declared martial law, suspending civil rights. Moscow had reimposed its will. East-West relations were fractured once more.
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I updated my Norton anti-virus software this morning. This was an update that was released yesterday. Today is the regular weekly update. Be sure to downooad them when they arrive.
Did some lawnmowing this mroning. Rain's in the forecast for tommorow. Hoefully it'll clear off in time for our town's "Fallfest" this weekend.
How's it going with you, snippy?
WELL SAID!
all our best from duckie/sw
Starting the day off mowing? You must be a morning person.
Things are hectic but going well here in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
I missed you. Went to bed right after I posted. Thanks for the idea. Sam will post the links on the last Thread Thursday and I'll go back and post the links at the end of each thread. :-)
Thanks Iris7. Good morning.
We have localized rain, Oregon City is the only place reporting it.
Reports on the volcano are pretty much, "Don't worry too much about it"
Pierogi! Sauerkraut I hope!!
Made it with 2 MILES to spare!!!
Thanks Sam. I'm really enjoying this review.
Hi miss Feather.
You HAVE to listen to Laura Ingrahm today. Her opening segment comments on the Sunkist kecthup boy are hilarious.
Thanks for all your work, it's a good series.
I believe the defeat in Afghanistan is extremely important to understanding the failure to stop Solidarity, allowing the Lithuanians to spin off and the disintegration of the Soviet Union. The Sov's were a country with an economy the size of The Netherlands trying to win an arms race and fight a Vietnam-type war and it severely damaged the Red Army and their economy. The Red Army's later failures in Chechnya revealed the extent of the damage.
Looking back on the 70's in relation to the Cold War and the Army seems like a bad dream. Jimmuh and the Dims encouraged the Sov's to go on the offensive wherever they could. In the Army, we were short of people, parts and working tanks. It's hard to describe to people who didn't live through it just how much a breath of fresh air Ronald Reagan was.
I like Foghorn Leghorn! We've been feeding the local ducks. Oh and Sam leaves peanuts out for the jays.
Sam and I are glad you are enjoying it.
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