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Show Americans now facing 6 a tough new realism' Americans have always had great expectations. Beginning with those immigrants who landed at Plymouth Rock and the millions who followed, all arrived in this country cherishing high hopes, i ' They were seldom disappointed. They expected land, and found a wide-open frontier. They expected ex-pected freedom, and were able to conceive a government offering liberty unparalleled in history. They expected wealth, and created it everywhere on the earth, under the earth and, in our time, far above the earth. But now some are saying that great American expectations must be repressed. It's argued that the attempt to reduce the Federal budget is the first step in a strategic retreat. Yet exactly the opposite may be true. It may well be that we Americans are once again expressing confidence in our ability to fulfill our expectations through our own actions rather than depending on government to act for us. It may be, too, that we're looking for fulfillment in new directions. By abandoning the established economics and politics of the past 50 years, we seem to be thinking as Thomas Jefferson did when he wrote to Lafayette that America would never find liberty in a feather bed. Isn't it possible that we're beginning to look at our national problems with a tough new realism? This new way of viewing reality might even be called "radical," and it doesn't seem limited to the United States. In a thoughtful column in the July 13 "Newsweek," Meg Greenfield points out that the unthinkable is happening everywhere Italy, Israel, Poland, China, France. The political direction is different in different countries, but the underlying meaning is the same : People are telling their governments, forcefully, exactly what they want. This new populism challenges conventional ideas and assumptions. The 1980's are beginning to look as though they may be more radical than we thought the 1960's were. The coalition of Democrats and Republicans in our Congress, supporting the Administration's fiscal program, is a change of political pace worth applauding. This bipartisan coalition's cooperative approach to budget and tax reductions is rare in American politics. But we see it as a symbol of political health and realism. Meanwhile, new political shifts worldwide have led to the collapse of Maoism in China, rebellion against absolutism in Poland, the fall of a static ruling party in Italy, a new political coalition in Israel and a surprising political turnabout in France. We're hearing in many places the voice of the people even though we may not all agree with what that voice is saying. Despite differences in. approach, what basically seems to be happening is that people have lost patience with insensitive party rule, are dissatisfied with politicians generally and intend to take matters into their own hands. While expectations are signs of hope and faith, they often take time to be fulfilled in good measure. The mood of America reflects a strong desire for minimal government. But the expectation heard in some quarters that American business can immediately absorb the programs striped from government is unrealistic. It is realistic, on the other hand, to expect a healthier fiscal environment to lead in time to reduced inflation, greater captial investment, improved productivity, more employment and a generally more prosperous America. In our opinion, we're not facing a period of sacrifice or retreat but a period of opportunity for enormous future growth. The least privileged among us stand to gain the most. American citizens have in truth changed the course of our country. We've done it through our votes and by continuing to express our wishes in letters, telegrams and telephone calls to the While House and to our representatives in Congress. No one in government can be in doubt any longer about the changes we want. We Americans still have great expectations. And so we should. Yet to fulfill them we must view them as goals. As we dream of better days to come, we must be realistic enough to recognize that we'll get them only through our own hard work. By Robert F. Dee Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer SmithKline Corporation |