The Foreign Service Journal, January 2011

new policies of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev. Glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring), as well as Gorbachev’s public statements re- nouncing the bulk of Marxist ideology, signaled the ColdWar’s end. It was only later, faced with significant internal dis- sension and the inability of the Com- munist Party to maintain control, that the Soviet Union fell apart. Matlock suggests that the U.S. role in defeating communism was smaller than conventional wisdomwould have us believe. In fact, he says, it was never U.S. policy to bring down the Soviet Union. On the contrary, the U.S. gov- ernment was worried about the possi- ble consequences of the USSR’s dis- integration: Twelve new nuclear pow- ers, the possible rise of dangerous na- tionalism, and the strong likelihood of the new states reverting to authoritar- ian rule. Matlock points to President George H.W. Bush’s famous 1991 “Chicken Kiev” speech in the Ukraine, where he warned that freedom and in- dependence were not the same thing. InMatlock’s view, the mistaken idea that the Soviet Union’s demise meant that the U.S. had “won” the Cold War and was therefore the world’s sole, undisputed superpower has led to seri- ously flawed foreign policy approaches in Washington during the past two decades. During the extensive question-and- answer session, Matlock fielded a vari- ety of questions from the audience. Many focused on current U.S.-Russian relations, in particular the fate of the New START Treaty in Congress. Mat- lock argued forcefully for ratification of the treaty, suggesting that political pres- sures and posturing are the only rea- sons for its delay. He believes that President Ronald Reagan would be strongly in favor of the treaty, which follows a tradition his administration embraced in the 1980s and adheres to his maxim, “trust but verify.” When asked about the situation in Russia today, Matlock agreed that there are many lingering problems. Democ- racy is a fairly new idea to Russians, he said, and they don’t always know what to do with it. Democratic institutions did not exist in 1991, and simply hold- ing elections does not mean democracy has triumphed. The average Russian, however, has a much better life today than during Soviet times, with greater freedom of expression and religion. Pressed on the issue of free speech by an audience member, Matlock con- demned the disturbing murders of journalists and human rights activists in Russia. While suggesting that organ- ized crime has diminished since its peak in the 1990s, having since then been largely absorbed into the bureaucracy, Matlock said that only external con- demnations and involvement by such bodies as the European Court of Justice could help stem this tragic trend. Finally,Matlock was asked about the status of Ukraine and Georgia, and what U.S. diplomatic strategy toward the two countries should be. Matlock warned against pressing for NATO membership for either, because doing so would adversely affect relations with Russia. Moreover, neither state would make a strong U.S. ally due to internal problems. He also suggested that the diaspora was much more in favor of NATO membership than the average Ukrainian. Amb. Matlock, who served four times in the Soviet Union during his Foreign Service career, including four years as ambassador, revealed that his original choice for the book’s title was Distorting History . Only opposition from his publisher persuaded him to change to the current wording. It is clear from his discussion, however, that Amb. Matlock’s original title would have been very apt. The Book Notes program is made possible by tax-deductible donations to AFSA’s 501(c)(3) charitable organiza- tion, the Fund for AmericanDiplomacy. This event, like other AFSA events, is available for online viewing at http:// forum-network.org/partner/american- foreign-service-association. ❏ 54 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1 A F S A N E W S Matlock • Continued from page 49 Matlock argued forcefully for ratification of the New START treaty, suggesting that political pressures and posturing are the only reasons for its delay. Amb. Jack Matlock (right) talks with retired FSO and colleague Kempton Jenkins (center) and AFSA Director of Communications Tom Switzer (left) before diving into his lecture on Cold War history. AMY MCKEEVER