War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with James Schlesinger, 1987 [1]
Description:
James Schlesinger served as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission from 1971-1973, Director of Central Intelligence for several months in 1973, Secretary of Defense from 1973-1975 and Secretary of Energy from 1977-1979. In this first of three interviews, he begins by mentioning some of his concerns about Soviet research and development activities and comments that President Nixon always believed the Soviets would behave "in a cold-blooded manner." He moves on to discuss the nature of the Soviet threat and of the appropriate U.S. role in confronting it. In this he had differences with Robert McNamara who believed that the purpose of U.S. strategic forces was primarily to protect North America, whereas Dr. Schlesinger believed it was to protect all of America's allies. This point leads to a discussion of U.S. thinking behind the development of the MX missile, using it both as a signal to the Soviets that the U.S. was prepared to match their counterforce capability and as a bargaining chip. He indicates his satisfaction with the evolution of thinking on the MX in the Carter administration, and is critical of President Reagan's decision to cancel his predecessor's proposed basing system. He discusses the Scowcroft Commission, calling it an enormously useful exercise. He touches on where events are heading in the next five years, then discusses the competing fears of the left and right in the United States, arguing that in spite of these concerns the superpower balance is very stable.
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