Summary of George F. Kennan Excerpt

George F. Kennan advises the US to be firm and consistent with the containment of Russia, but don't be threatening or tough because the Russians will feel threatened. He also warns them not to be weak or show that they are not confident because it "is never a source of strength in political affairs." The Russians will pick up on it and will feed off the weakness. Kennan is smart to acknowledge reality: that there probably won't be any political intimacy between the Soviet regime and the US in the near future. He says that eventually the Soviet society will self- destruct and become weak enough for the US to enter with confidence and a mission, forcing the Soviets to surrender. Kennan knows that the US is not the most powerful force in the universe but he thinks that it is powerful enough to complete this task.