[speaker001:] so I personally uh do consider the Soviet Union a threat I I I think that although there's been some fundamental changes and that there's uh uh the uh the mood for change that there's a lot of change left to happen and that there's still uh communism which is fundamentally opposed to democracy and there's still missiles
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] yeah well I mean that's that's certainly true I guess I'm I'm confused uh by what it means to be a threat to the United States and so I'm not sure I even recognize the United States as anything to be threatened um
[speaker001:] oh really
[speaker002:] the uh I guess the main issue is is that it it seems to me that the Soviet Union is breaking up into it's own internal problems
[speaker001:] yes
[speaker002:] um and it would certainly be nice if the various um republics seceded on the other hand I also think it would be very nice if the various states in our union seceded uh but that's beside the point uh
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] and it's much less than clear to me that as a military power um there's going to be anything left uh given that anything like that happens
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] uh they've got enough problems keeping their own people happy to worry about you know nuking other people who aren't bothering them
[speaker001:] right well I guess that that that brings up a question is it their I think in in the long term we could see a a situation where there are in incredible civil wars and that the the structure of the country breaks down and there's strife and much much death
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] but until that happens between between now and then there's a lot of other uh events that could happen including a resurgence of communism with uh violent uh backlash against democracy which which is where we could be in threatened I guess you'd say
[speaker002:] I guess I'm communist why is why is communism antiethical to democracy I can understand why it's antiethical to capitalism
[speaker001:] I'm sorry you you're right I'm am meaning to say capitalism
[speaker002:] okay uh all right but we've already got a lot of anticapitalism in this country
[speaker001:] yes that's true uh-huh
[speaker002:] um
[speaker001:] but not necessarily enough from the Soviet Union's people's point of view
[speaker002:] that could be that could be
[speaker001:] I yeah
[speaker002:] uh but certainly the latest rumors in Congress right now is let's soak the rich some more so we can spread out the money
[speaker001:] yeah
[speaker002:] and that's certainly communism as far as I can tell
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] uh so um you know they might be perfectly happy to sit back and wait for it to happen
[speaker001:] that's right
[speaker002:] um and they so so I guess since the primary question is whether or not it's a military problem that's less than clear to me I mean if they're smart they're just going to let us head toward communism on our own very merry way
[speaker001:] that's right
[speaker002:] and there seems to be enough people in our country who are happy to do that sort of thing because they think they'd get more out of it that way
[speaker001:] right um-hum
[speaker002:] um so from that point of view I don't consider them a threat
[speaker001:] I see
[speaker002:] I don't think they're going to you know somehow import communism to us
[speaker001:] I I agree with that I don't believe that will happen the um well one thing that's current of interest is is if the Soviet Union's structure does break down and there is civil war at the end of those civil wars or during those civil wars in whose hands will those missiles be
[speaker002:] um-hum right
[speaker001:] and there are a lot of them uh scattered throughout the many many republics
[speaker002:] that's true that's that can be a frightening thought
[speaker001:] right almost a terroristic thought
[speaker002:] um yep yep
[speaker001:] you know come help us or we'll bomb you
[speaker002:] yeah um of course that's not a good way to win friends but yeah I mean I I think there's also the whole third world issue uh with him
[speaker001:] that's
[speaker002:] with uh the Soviet Union having um supported uh Iraq
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] uh previously and and so there there's a whole lot of political possibilities um but you know just just to put this in perspective I mean George Bush was recently in the hospital and so for a moment Dan Quayle might have been uh having his finger on the trigger and God knows what that would have done uh
[speaker001:] that's right I know it's almost amazing how little you hear about Dan Quayle and when you do it's usually totally
[speaker002:] yeah it's a joke
[speaker001:] yeah yeah he still wants to send people to Mars
[speaker002:] right
[speaker001:] the guy's uh lame lame lame lame to say the least
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] oh well so that's uh what what's going to be real interesting is if when they have the next presidential elections
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] if Bush is going to run with Quayle again
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] or if he's going to run with someone else which I think would be uh I wonder if that's if there's precedent for that where uh there's uh same president but a different vice president
[speaker002:] uh I think so I can't think off hand who
[speaker001:] is it but without something like death or impeachment
[speaker002:] yeah
[speaker001:] I I I can't recall
[speaker002:] I mean I just can't imagine voting for anybody that has Quayle on their ticket
[speaker001:] yeah that's right I guess in the last elections it was it was the lesser of several evils but from the
[speaker002:] right and also he was basically unknown so I mean you're just like okay so it's it's Bush and somebody else
[speaker001:] yeah that's right yeah oh well so let's see back to the that key issue uh
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] the the other part of the question was what would uh what would have to happen to convince me
[speaker002:] right right
[speaker001:] and I'd say seems to me uh that the missiles are the threat
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] and so what would have to happen is a complete disarmament
[speaker002:] um-hum
[speaker001:] uh and uh that's I you know I'd love to see that happen but I doubt it's going to happen in the next fifty years
[speaker002:] you don't think so
[speaker001:] I don't no personally I I I really as I said I would really love to see it happen but I just
[speaker002:] I just I can't see them maintaining the missile bases in fact I think if the Soviet government starts retreating you know because of these civil wars and stuff the first thing they're going to do is close down the mi ssile bases in the republics
[speaker001:] um-hum oh under the fear
[speaker002:] because they're not going to want them to fall into the Republic's hands
[speaker001:] I see under the fear that that uh Moscow Moscow gets bombed first that's a good point that's a very good point in fact
[speaker002:] might be used against them that's right and so I think just from that there's going to be some limited amounts of disarmament they'll still be republics with the missiles the ones that are under the firmer control of the of the Soviets
[speaker001:] right
[speaker002:] uh but certainly you know like Lithuania and stuff I think would lose the irs
[speaker001:] yes I see that's a good great point okay well so
[speaker002:] so it was good talking to you
[speaker001:] yeah it was nice talking to you too Brian good day bye-bye
[speaker002:] okeydoke bye