From: Ascmjk@aol.com
Date: Mon Jun 07 2004 - 21:49:33 BST
In a message dated 6/7/2004 2:47:45 PM Central Standard Time,
horse@darkstar.uk.net writes:
I think that Reagan, Thatcher and Kohl were little more than bit players in
the events of
the late 80's with regard to the USSR. Along with Reagan and the majority of
other
'world leaders' at the time they were just carrying on the same old same old.
Pretty much every major historian agrees that Reagan's level of aggressive
rhetoric (a Quality Robert Pirsig would not flippantly dismiss) toward the USSR
was unprecedented, and many Russians today consider Reagan a hero because he
had the courage to call the USSR "evil." Don't take my word for it, Horse, take
the word of the very people you say deserve the real credit: the people of
the former Soviet Union. Many of them are saying Reagan was a hero whose words
of encouragement had a very real and lasting influence on them. Gorbachev has
been saying for years now how important Reagan was, and he has reiterated his
deep admiration for the man time and time again. A prominent Russian military
man (a general whose name escapes me at the moment) has said that Reagan's SDI
threat "blackmailed the Soviet Union into falling apart." That's only
partially paraphrased. I can locate the source of this quote if you don't believe it.
Clearly, Reagan was more than a "bit player" in the eyes of Gorbachev and
many of the Russian people. Reagan's rhetoric not only inspired Americans, it
inspired Russians.
Jon
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