Stanley Hoffmann Quotes
We must devise what could be described as a new containment … of the various forms of violence and chaos that a world no longer dominated by the Cold War will entail.
This quotation is a remarkably prescient prediction of what would be needed a decade later.
Stanley Hoffman, Political Scientist, “What Should We Do In The World”, The Atlantic, October 1989
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
One major problem at the time was that the Soviet Union was supporting and instigating revolutions in many parts of the world. When most nations of the UN wanted to provide peace keeping troops to quell the conflict, the Russians would veto and block the effort, Vandenberg wanted the UN to change the rules regarding the veto. The original right of veto for the major nations was originally included at the insistence of the United States and many Americans did not want to give it up or have any exceptions lest there be more. The Russians at that time also did not want to give up any of their veto powers. Another method that Vandenberg wanted to solve the Russian peacekeeping blockage problem was for America to engage in more collective security pacts so that action could be taken without UN Security Council unanimity by going around the UN.
This was a very important statement for the President to make. At the time there was a very conservative right wing that was advocating withdrawing from the UN or at the very least not paying such a large share of the UN funds for operation.
Stanley Hoffmann was the Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser University Professor at Harvard University, specializing in French politics and society, European politics, U.S. foreign policy, and international relations.
