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From: dew@ihlts.UUCP (dewysama)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Why are we at war with USSR? - (nf)
Message-ID: <404@ihlts.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 30-Mar-84 14:58:14 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlts.404
Posted: Fri Mar 30 14:58:14 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 31-Mar-84 07:53:41 EST
References: <6470@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
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[]
Last night (3/29) on WNIB (Chicago), there was a
program on Nixon that highlighted his attempts to
establish broader trade with the USSR.

In ~1972, we consumated the "big grain deal" in which
we sold the Soviets all our surplus wheat. That
action drove the price here sharply higher and left
us in the odd position of watching food prices go
through the ceiling while we were loading their
tankers with our bargain-priced wheat.

Nixon wanted to have the USSR upgraded to "favored
nation status" which opens the door to trading a
broad line of products at favorable prices. 

This whole matter was debated in Congress for ~2
years.  Senator Jackson led the fight against
approval with strong support from labor.  They
introduced legislation which prohibited trade
agreements with nations that did not follow our
"human rights" beliefs on things such as allowing
free emigration.  His bill came to vote during the
election year, and it was the kind of thing that
anyone running for office could hardly vote
against.

This all was happening against the background of
Watergate, so the executive branch was scarcely
in position to put up much opposition.

Our relations with the USSR have rapidly gone to
pot since that time, so maybe Heimlich has a
valid point. It would be rather simiplistic, however,
to assume this matter has not been considered in
some depth by the government.

Hope my summary of the above did not contain too many
boo-boos.  It is certainly not my field of expertise.

-- 



                            ihlts!dew

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