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where, if not a nuclear conflict, we could have been in a low-grade conventional war with the Soviet Union that would have cost the lives of tens of thousands of people. It was really that tense. Quieter revelations concern the pivotal role of spies like Jeffrey Carney, Oleg Gordievsky, Rainer Rupp and John Walker. Has that information only recently been declassified? A lot of that information is new, and a lot of it is newly synthesized [from] fragments of recordings and declassified documents [and] secondary literature. … On both sides, spies at critical moments told the truth to their spymasters, essentially. Gordievsky repeatedly warned the British that American aggression was triggering the Soviets in a way that could lead to nuclear war … it changed policy. You can make a strong case that, putting aside ideology and the nobility of spy craft, people like Rupp and Gordievsky are heroes of the story because they told the truth when it was inconvenient for them to do so, and they did so in ways that allowed policy makers, once they received the information, to ratchet down tension. ... Being able to put all that together and show the linkage between the way information would percolate up the chain and how it might be interpreted or misinterpreted was the hardest but also the coolest part of writing the book. You got to see in real time how individuals reacted to intelligence. ON ‘THE BRINK’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 09 and an intelligence system that’s very attentive to what the other side is doing to prevent potentially catastrophic misunderstanding. That is resoundingly clear I didn’t buy into the caricature that Reagan wasn’t intelligent but I did buy the caricature, perhaps, that he wasn’t curious or that he didn’t think that he had a lot to learn — and I found the opposite was the case. His curiosity was in his insistence on learning more about the Soviet Union [and] why they might fear a first nuclear strike by the United States; cabinet meetings, letters, and conversations with people, trying to put himself in the shoes of Soviet leaders and people throughout this period, encouraged his impulse toward diplomacy. He doesn’t get enough credit for this intellectual curiosity. In some ways it’s critical to the situation in general resolving as it did. A couple months later when he started reading the intelligence that the Soviets had reacted really unusually to this exercise, it was Reagan who pressed his team for actions that would reduce tension and significantly increase diplomatic contact. So Reagan’s instincts and humility — not a quality always associated with him — in realizing he didn’t fully understand the Soviet Union were essential characteristics of his political leadership. In different phrasing, you describe humility as probably the most powerful counterbalance against war. It was. That’s a good way of putting it. There are different schools of writing history and many schools emphasize structural factors at the expense of strong personalities. But in this case you see direct evidence that personality and character really made a difference. That doesn’t mean it always does, but were Reagan not endowed with that curiosity, and if he had a different set of characteristics or inclinations — and frankly, if he had a different set of beliefs about nuclear war — we could have escalated to a point Did any of the experts or Able Archer participants you interviewed single out particular warning signs to watch for or parallels with current relations between the US and other nuclear powers? Virtually everyone I talked to on all sides — a lot of them Republicans who served in the Reagan administration, conservative to the core — are horrified and afraid. Not just because of the decision-making aspect of it, but because they also know the nuclear command that controls the system itself is very fragile, and is liable to be gamed and is susceptible to dysfunction, still, even as technologies have changed. A lot of “there but for the grace of God go I” comments percolate out. It’s scary. It really was the proverbial orange-haired elephant in the room. … Voters, when they are talking to politicians running for Congress or the presidential level, need to ask very specific questions: ‘If China attacked Taiwan, and the US was obligated by treaty to respond, and the US’ primary means of responding would be attack with a nuclear weapon — what would you do?’ You write that, with the exception of Eisenhower and Carter, “presidents were generally ignorant about the actual mechanics of waging a nuclear war.” Did the Bushes, Clinton, and Obama participate in coordinated nuclear exercises like Ivy League 82? They went through the exercise, but their interest wasn’t in learning about the mechanics. I can say this about Obama: One of Obama’s biggest legacies is the START treaty with Russia, an incredibly important treaty that obviously allows the US to understand and verify what Russians are doing with their nuclear weapons and provides a framework for all kinds of diplomacy. But Obama, in order to get that treaty, had to give something up. To get votes from Republicans, he worked with Sen. John Kyle, who’s sort of a nuclear hawk in the Senate, and agreed to start funding what would amount to a $300 billion, 20-year nuclear modernization project. That means that all of the nuclear weapons and nuclear infrastructure we have is getting orders of magnitude better — the totality of our weapons, the precision, our targeting, our ability to use them for more things increases by orders of magnitude. In exchange, we keep a few less of them at the ready. It’s a hard bargain to strike. If your nuclear weapons are five times more deadly, and you have 30 fewer of them at the ready, are you really gaining that much? I know it’s something that weighs on Obama’s mind, and it’s something he’s going to write about in his book, and it’s something that concerns him now. I say this not to criticize Obama; I can’t imagine, if there’s ever a nuclear conflict, wanting a president with a different temperament than Obama — he has the perfect temperament. But even as committed to nuclear disarmament as Obama was, he just didn’t have the bandwidth to take the doctrine and these issues to the level where they need to be in order to really make the world safe. It’s not that he didn’t participate in the drills; he did. It’s just that there a million things going on. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 10 PASADENA WEEKLY | <strong>08.23.18</strong>
• LIFE • HOME SALES RECENT HOME SALES IN THE GREATER PASADENA AREA “YOU DON'T NEED A SILVER FORK TO EAT GOOD FOOD."- PAUL PRUDHOMME BULLETIN BOARD NEWS AND NOTES FROM OUR COMMUNITY WHAT LIES BENEATH IS CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE RESPONSIBLE FOR LACK OF TRUST AND INTIMACY AS AN ADULT? P. 14 RESTAURANT REVIEW P. 15 P. 19 dining& nitelife Pasadena Weekly’s Dining Directory is a paid advertisement and is provided as a service to our readers. To advertise in the Dining Directory, call (626) 584-1500. Average price per entree $ UP TO $10 $$ $11–15 directory $$$ $16-25 $$$$ $25+ ALEXANDER’S STEAKHOUSE 111 North Los Robles Ave. Pasadena, (626) 486-1111 alexanderssteakhouse.com $$$$ Alexander’s Steakhouse welcomes you to experience American steakhouse cuisine with an innovative and elegant global inspiration. Our menu features Certified Angus Beef from the Mid-West, corn-fed and dry-aged for 28 days for unparalleled flavor. We serve the finest and most luxurious ingredients available including authentic Japanese wagyu beef. BONNIE B’S SMOKIN BBQ 1280 N. Lake Ave., Pasadena, (626) 794-0132 bonniebssmokin.com $$ From Tulsa Oklahoma to Southern Cal. with a touch of New Orleans soul comes Bonnie B’s Bar B Que Heaven. Our 45-yearold traditional recipes are made with love. Try our new sweet pea’s double Fried burger made with our own sauces, soul bowl and homemade peach cobbler. Voted best BBQ & Soul food in Pasadena for our ribs, collard greens and Slim's Mac & Cheese. We are thankful and appreciate Pasadena. Parade of Favorites SOME PARTING GIFTS IN A FINAL FAREWELL BY SIMONE DUPUY | PHOTOS BY DANNY LIAO Here we are at the finish line. It has been a pleasure writing for the good readers of Pasadena Weekly for the last eight months. I did my best to take you all out and test-drive new experiences just by unfolding the paper. I had my opinions; perhaps you all disagreed, and that’s fine. That’s great, in fact. It doesn’t matter if I think Buffalo Wild Wings is the armpit of humanity in every conceivable way. If you like it, you like it. Nothing I say should change that. But if you did, on occasion, find my recommendations palatable, here I am now to construct an ideal dining day for you. Consider it my parting gift, although it’s also a bit of a self-serving record of nostalgia. Though I am sure my new San Francisco home will have plenty of hidden tasty spots, greasy spoons and dive bars, I will reread this article with a tear in my eye whenever I’m homesick. Without further ado, here goes my ideal day of consumption in the greater Pasadena area: Breakfast at Jeremy’s in Montrose. When I first visited this place, it had a B health rating. This in no way prevented many, many, many family breakfasts there in the years to come. The eventual upgrade to an A was just the cherry on top of an already charming, homey, welcoming diner. At Jeremy’s, the food is always exactly the same — maybe just a bit better than you remember it. The pancakes are truly like yellow cake cooked in a pan. No amount of syrup seems able to overwhelm their pure, delicious power. The corned beef hash scooped up on rye toast with oozing egg yolk washes over the hungover and post-churchgoing crowd alike with waves of comfort. The coffee flows incessantly. Every inch of wall space is covered in grandparent-esque signage, the tabletops similarly unrelentingly adorned with business cards and knick-knacks. The waitresses call you honey as they deliver the crispiest bacon imaginable at lightning speed. It all feels right. If you’re able to work back up an appetite by the time lunch hits, head up the street to Sianto’s Lebanese Bakery in La Crescenta. CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 CAMERON’S SEAFOOD 1978 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 793-3474 Camerons4fish.com $$ Since 1984, Cameron’s Seafood has been serving its freshest seafood, and has become a landmark in Pasadena. Cameron’s brings the ocean home with their fresh catch being cooked over mesquite wood grills that burn all day long.Enjoy the very best Seafood, Steaks, Salad & Pasta! Voted Best Seafood in Pasadena Weekly for 27 years! Now you can order on-line: camerons4fish.com. CASA CÓRDOBA 2331 Honolulu Ave.Montrose, CA 91020 Casacordoba.com $$$ Casa Cordoba delivers a truly immersive Spanish dining experience! Their creative and inspiring dishes are prepared with the freshest authentic ingredients to make their menu an exciting and unique culinary event! Dine inside in their lovely dining room or al fresco in their beautiful courtyard patio. <strong>08.23.18</strong> | PASADENA WEEKLY 11
Page 1 and 2: ONLINE VOTING ENDS AUGUST 27TH! BES
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Page 5 and 6: GREATER ER PASADENA’S FREE NEWS A
Page 7 and 8: • NEWS • PASADENA | ALHAMBRA |
Page 9: ON ‘THE BRINK’ MARC AMBINDER TE
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Page 15 and 16: PW OPINION PW NEWS PW LIFE PW ARTS
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Page 21 and 22: • ARTS • ‘FOR A BETTER LIFE
Page 23 and 24: pasadena senior center Live Music!
Page 33 and 34: Introduced by: Councilmember Madiso
Page 35 and 36: SENSUAL MASSAGE RAVISHING REDHEAD E
Page 37 and 38: was fi led with the LA County Clerk
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08.23.18

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