If superpower leaders knew and did the same, they could be heroic, too.
At moments when a superpower leader is tottering, his associates think about chains of command.
What kind of superpower leader are you?
In this treaty-happy era, with both superpower leaders eager to distract attention from big domestic problems, the time has come to address an escalating source of tension.
In doing so the United States, as the superpower leader of a global anti-Soviet alliance, had geopolitical as well as economic goals.
All were bearing messages for the superpower leaders.
There's a noticeable feeling of edginess as superpower leaders meet here to seek a grasp on a dizzily changing world.
The White House spokesman, Marlin Fitzwater, described the encounter next month as "a cordial meeting between superpower leaders."
But the personal chemistry between the superpower leaders was perceptably more affectionate and relaxed today.
This not only in regard to arms races, where superpower leaders have at long last a chance to turn around a process that threatens nuclear extinction.