NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY


IV. THE -UNDERLYING CONFLICT IN THE REALML OF IDEAS AND VALUES
         BETWEEN THE U.S. PURPOSE AND THE KREMLIN DESIGN
A. Nature of conflict:
  The Kremlin regards the United States as the oniy major threat to
the achievement of its fundamental design. 'There is a basic conflict be-
tween the idea of freedom under a government of laws, ,and the-idea of
slavery under the grim oligarchy of the Kremlin, Which has come ,to a
Crisis with -the polarization of power described in Section I, and the
exclusive possession of .atomic weapons by the two protagonists. The
idea of freedom, moreover, is peculiarly and intolerably subversive of
the idea of slavery. But the converse is not true. The implacable pur-
pose of the slave s8tate .to eliminate the challenge of freedom has placed
the two great powers at opposite poles. It is this fact which gives the
present polarization of power the quality of crisis.
  The free society values the individual as an end in himself, requiring
of him only that measure of self discipline and self restraint which
make the rights of each individual compatible with the rights of every
other individual. The freedom of the individual hsas its counterpart,
therefore, the negative responsibility of the individual not, to exercise
his freedom in ways inconsistent with the freedom of other individuals
and the positive responsibility to make constructive use of his freedom
in the building of a just society.
  From thisidea of freedom with responsibility derives the marvelous
diversity, the deep! tolerance, the lawfulness of the free society. This
is
the explanation of the strength of free men. It constitutes the !integrity
and the vitality of a free and democratic system. The free society at-
tempts to create and maintain an environment in which every individ-
ual has the opportunity to realize his creative powers. I1t also explains
why the free society tolerates those within it who would use their free-
dom to destroy it. By the same token, in relations between nations, the
prime reliance of the 'free society is on the strength land appeal of its
idea, and it feels no compulsion sooner or later to bring all societies,
into
conformity with it.
  For the free society does not fear, it welcomes, diversity. It derives
its strength from its hospitality even to antipathetic ideas. It is a mar-
ket for free trade in ideas, secure in its faith that free men will take
-the best wares, and grow to a fuller and better realization of their
powers in exercising their choice.
  The idea of freedom is the most contagious 'idea in history, more
contagious than the idea of submission to authority. For the breadth
of freedom cannot be tolerated in a society which has come under the
domination of an individual or group of individuals with a will
to absolute power. Were the despot holds absolute power-the


289