First Published: The Call, Vol. 7, No. 17, May 1, 1978.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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The rapid rise of the Soviet Union as an imperialist superpower and contender to the throne of world imperialism has evoked a response of appeasement from the leading sections of U.S. imperialism.
Appeasement, rather than being a form of cooperation or “detente” among the superpowers, is actually a form of contention. It is an attempt by a large section of the U.S. monopoly capitalists to pacify the superpower on the rise and steer it away from the path of its advance, or at least temporarily satisfy its appetite.
This approach was also tried by leading sections of the U.S. ruling circles when Hitler was on the march 40 years ago. The results are now well known.
One form of appeasement towards Soviet social-imperialism has been increased trade and financial deals between the U.S. and USSR since Carter took office. Some of the very same forces who bolstered Hitler financially–such as Rockefeller, Ford, GM and the like–are now doing the same for the economically-troubled Kremlin.
The February issue of the Soviet journal Foreign Trade reports on the fifth meeting of the U.S.-USSR Trade and Economic Council which was held in Los Angeles last November. The report boasts that “over 500 U.S. businesses who control almost 25% of the U.S. Gross National Product” attended the meeting.
Among the corporate big-wigs who came were Secretary of the Treasury W. Michael Blumenthal, formerly president of the Bendix Corporation, with heavy investments in the Soviet auto industry. Another was Philip Mabib, former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
Secretary of Commerce Juanita Morris Kreps made a “militant” speech urging U.S. corporations to invest in the -USSR and its Eastern European satellites. Kreps, by the way, has sat on the board of directors of Western Electric, J.C. Penny Corp., and Reynolds Corp. as well as being a member of the board of the New York Stock Exchange.
The Foreign Trade article gives special mention to a number of big monopolists who have been especially friendly to the new czars. These include H.P. Kendall of Pepsi-Cola (who has an eye on Russian vodka production); David Rockefeller of Chase Manhattan Bank, a leading force for appeasement; Brooks McCormick of International Harvester; and Herbert H. Lyon of Dow Chemical Co.
G. William Miller was also mentioned prominently, and understandably so, since the president of Textron Corp. was recently named by Carter to head up the Federal Reserve system. His appointment, replacing Arthur Burns, was connected to his pro-appeasement policies as well as his stand on monetary questions. The Soviet article concluded: “The fifth meeting of the Council showed that U.S. business interests continue to favor broader Soviet-American commercial and economic relations and fully normalized conditions of trade and economic cooperation.”
From this example, it is possible to see how appeasement hastens war by allowing Soviet war preparations to continue unabated despite internal contradictions in the economy of the USSR. The wheat and advanced technical equipment sold to the Soviet Union by the profit-hungry corporations under Carter's okay are like bombs waiting to be used against the peoples and countries of the world.