在美蘇雙方火爆地相互叫囂/恐嚇中,肯尼迪總統與赫魯曉夫總書記, 一方麵要集合各自所有的人力/物力, 準備應對隨時可能爆發的衝突,另一方麵又要頂住了來自各自陣營的壓力(專業人員給出的合理的推測, 建議, 甚至威脅),冒著巨大的風險給予對方最起碼的信任。這一極其有限的信任,使肯尼迪與赫魯曉夫得以相互配合,最終化解了在1961年的古巴導彈危機。讓世界/人類避免自我毀滅, 是他們不得不冒險相信對方的唯一原因。We thank God they did.
以下文字摘自"小人物的恐懼與自尊"(2022年8月6日) (鏈接1)
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丈夫遇刺身亡後,第一夫人傑奎琳·肯尼迪在白宮的最後一夜,給親朋好友寫信道別,其中一封寫給當時的蘇共總書記赫魯曉夫。....這封信是這麽寫的:
"你們是對立者,但不讓世界灰飛煙散的決心讓你們成為同路人。你們彼此尊重對方,這讓你們可以打交道。....
"讓我的丈夫深感憂慮的危險,不是戰爭由大人物啟動,而是由小人物引發。
大人物知道自我控製與自我節製,而小人物有時會因恐懼與自尊而盲動。希望日後大人物能夠繼續迫使小人物們,在他們開戰之前,坐下來談判。"...
(You and he were adversaries, but you were allied in a determination that the world should not be blown up. You respected each other and could deal with each other. ...
The danger which troubled my husband was that war might be started not so much by the big men as by the little ones.
While big men know the needs for self-control and restraint—little men are sometimes moved more by fear and pride. If only in the future the big men can continue to make the little ones sit down and talk, before they start to fight.)