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Perception, the vir.v a nation his of itself and
other nations of the world, L a necessary facet in -political
life. Misperception, arid total reliance on it,
are the seeds of poisonous fruit
1C:3 finds world superpowers, the United States
and the Soviet Union, entangled Li a power struggle -bonded
by mis perceptions, which has -reached" a'
near-fatal edge. Their mutual lack of commur.iea-',
tion, unwillingness to compromise and continued "
reinforcement of preconceived, adulterated per-
cepiions of each other obstruct any hops for peaces'
fol relations. .
Both tlie Americans and the Coiizis find it hard to '
comprehend what they Iok-L!.e "frcia the other' '
. (Ma' .. .".'
, According to Walters. Jones and Steven J. Rosen, '
co-authors of "The Loic of International Relations,"
The Soviet Union sees the world divided into two
innately hostile camps of capitalist and socialist
states, itself the progenitor and protector of the
socialist camp and the United States the world
headquarters of antirevolutionary reaction and
imperialism. The United States sees Soviet Com
munism as an inherently expansionist totalitarian
ideology threatening to engulf weaker nations of the
Free World, which are protected only by the
umbrella of American power . . .
These perceptions most likely are based on
various data, historical analyses, psycho-logic
through cognitive dissonance and propaganda.
Throughout history, the two superpowers have
supported only that information about theif adver
sary that has confirmed and strengthened their"
misperceptions.
Soviet dissident and author Aleksandr Sohhenit
syn said in his 19S0 article, "Misconceptions About
Russia are a Threat to America," that American
readers get their ideas and information about the
Soviet Union chiefly from American scholars,i!3?tr- .
icari diplomats, American correspondents in llos- -cow
and U.S.S.R. emigres, all who have a preccn- .
ceived idea,' conscious or ctherfriic, of the informs- ,
tion they are villing to relay. These hardened
perceptions are an obstacle to progress and peace. :
Misconceptions leading to a perceived power
imbalance between the United States and the Soviet
Union, encourage belief that the world only has ,
room enough for one. The other must "yield or be
destroyed." The United States thus, continues to
increase spending toward a technologically advanc
ed American military that can compete with an
alleged superior Soviet "strength of numbers," which ; :
many military officials have rendered inefficient :
and obsolete. ; '. , ..
Today, threat of power imbalance equals threat of :'
wars and cultivates irrationality and political para
- noia. This paranoia, interred and reconSrmed by .
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the Sept. 1 Korean Air line tregedy, in which the
Soviets shot down a commercial airliner becaucs
. they believed it was a spy plane, b the real threat to
us alL The Western press jumped on the KAL tand
; wagon before it was exactly clear what happened
because it helped toj jetLV and securs their percep--t!on
of Uie Soviet Aggrcrcors. '. -
. -": Fundamental char.g2 1 esf a brg-ttrn prccecs, it
must be initiated new. -In "Nations' in Bal::r5,m
enn u. docsssger prc.xr.es b:.lziyz:iov;s, ur.icr-
tunate as it may be, that crfcis is catdrt to chsrg
I V 5.' a.7 v.-.-..
v,i":::g to cer .cur pcrceptiar cni tl.2 arms race
and burZd a friendly v.'crliatmcr-here?- -
Or.s answer to mirperecptlcn lj cr iihy. Sicca-'
singer resolves that, Tcdy, It h na brr cr.atigh '
.for nations, to understand eaeli 'cihrrVlih their
rr.ir.dj; they must nor learn to feci ccch ether with
Certainly we hnve had encjh cf zzr;ir: cn a
- p.:U Ljinvj-zt with mrperceptins cr.d firing in a'-
ww.n,wf ivn-v.vi;i i.e L.,tCi e...,,, n.
' The tlr.a has ccir.e fcr o to bc!ir;2 b tceiT-.;". .
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