Dean states that throughout Russia's history it has remained outside the mainstream of thought and action that shaped the Western world. He declares the new element now to be the fact that the Soviet Union is an influence over other nations through communism.Dean also talks about the rise of nationalistic sentiments in eastern Europe which is turning out to be the greatest policy problem for Russia. Dean expresses his belief that Russia is a great power, but not a modern one, lagging behind the United States in industry.He proposes that the U.S. spend less time denouncing Russia and more time understanding why it is influencing people in other parts of the world. Dean also urges the United States not to end up on the side of reactionary elements but to ask itself whether certain Russian policies such as transfer of land to land less tenants, industrialization of backward countries, separation of church and state are things that they truly oppose. Dean states that the world is entering into a period of great competition between two economic systems and that the onus is on the United States to demonstrate that their system offers the greatest benefit to the greatest number.