Gorbachev: Ruins of Wall saw last nail in Cold War coffin

[erdjanerji]

This man wanted be president against Yeltsin in 1996 and now He says i leaved my job in 1991 enough Putin you leave too

[serbin16m]

The Cold War made the Olympics interesting now theyre just boring.

[KraussHelmut]

"I'm sure time works for Gorbachev". I agree! He has done great things and continues to strive for a better world.

[parfy1000]

His name is gorby, it is the reason why USSR is not any more. I hate him.

[RussiaTrue]

This shit response for Russia fall in deep ass hole.

Most of Russian peoples despise him.

Hell yeah - now we have a lot freedoms - free for drugs, free from law, freedom for thiefs, freedom of morons, freedom for gays, freedom from culture and traditions...and free from money!

Thanks you, mr. Gorbachёв.

[tommy1973able]

wow what a woman!the west still fears russia!let hollywood make some movies where russia gets invaded or destroyed by a natural disaster!that would help!

[tommy1973able]

wow what a woman!

[v19d]

Can't wait to see a Korean Reunification and will likely be a non communist united Korea.

[yurtaevi]

Who took a shit on his head? WTF is that on his head?

[gusztiguszti]

This guy is proud of his perestroyka which destroyed the socialism in East Europe! He doesn't care about millions of victims of passing to capitalism. Is he sane? Without perestroika you will have had no Gulf Wars, no Yugoslav wars, no 9/11/2001, even no crisis in East Europe.



[0utthe0ther]

@gusztiguszti victims are victims, no matter what political ideology they adopt. and wars will be fought for no other reason but that they can be fought. the reason there are victims is lack of individual responsibility, the reason for war is lack of collective responsibility.

[afp18]

No Mr. Gorbachev, WE did not "All lose this war." Tyranny lost this war, and the USSR ruled through tyranny. Let's move forward.

[777georgian]

gorbachev wanted to kill most of worlds polulation!!!

[russianpride415]

Gorbachev sold Russia to the jews, he will be remembered in history as a scum bag. He has a really nice house in San Francisco.

[furiasha]

In the late 80s I was mad at Gorbachev for not moving fast enough in ending the Communism in my country, Russia. We , the population, made our own correction in 1991 and that was the end of the USSR. Now,having chosen the radical way I see what Gorbachev was afraid of. We could have done it like China does now, step by step. May be it could have been less painfull. But on another hand, we are much stronger now and certainly less naive, and what the hell, just couldn't wait.

[PutinProper]

What the hell do you know about Russia? From Portugal?

Russia is much weaker now. We have lost our science, our education system, our health care, our military tech. Late USSR only lagged behind the west in the area of electronics, by about 5-7 years. Now its more like 20 years.

We are still below USSR production level even in agriculture.

...

Now, Russia is probably going to overcome these problems sooner or later. But former Soviet Republics, they are thrown to a stone age.

[furiasha]

I bet more than you. Were you born and raised at the time of communism? I doubt it, otherwise you wouldn't dare talk ing to me about bloody electronics. Have patience and do your job well. As for the other republics - they have chosen their path and it's not up to you or me to decide what they want.( Thank God!)

[PutinProper]

Now tell me if life in USSR in 60-80 was any worse than in Europe or US. But please compare with 60-80 as well, not now.

What soviet didn't have in terms of personal cars, they had in terms of high quality and free education and health care. What they didn't have in terms of political freedom, useless for 99% population, they had in terms of freedom personal, not having to worry about their future and future about their children.

[furiasha]

Well, as you said people didn't have political freedom and you obviously don't know what it's like to live without it. And don't tell me about a personal freedom and a lack of worries about the future - the system was completely corrupt and you had to have «Blat» or some key position to get what you want. You can travel and see things , learn and teach. Freedom is not useless if you've got brains. U r idealising something you don't know instead of creating something positive of your own.

[PutinProper]

Whose who really "needs" political freedom, are usually the most useless part of any society. And i am talking not only about emigrants.

[furiasha]

How do you mesure usefullness? Why are you so keen on giving away your human rights? Why do you invite some dude, be it from the USSR, EU or US to tell you what to think or how to feel?

As for your definition of «emigrants», why don't you just look around a bit, so that you know what u r talking about and may be take some time of your life to leave your little corner and grow up. Bye, kid.

[GaullistFan]

@PutinProper USSR is dead! Now we need a Christian Democratic Europe

[REDSTORM1917]

@GaullistFan That would be one of the most horrible thing ever happened. Forcing a Christiniaty is sick. Like crusades, religion has been used as a excuse to kill people.

[FernandoShafie]

@GaullistFan lol, look, another stupid irracional comenntary saying that communism failed, instead of an apel to religion! this made me laugh!!!! haha!

[MiyazakiKnight]

@GaullistFan You've got to be joking. A Christian democratic Europe? Do you want the Dark Ages of serfdom and warring religious states to happen all over again?

[FernandoShafie]

@PutinProper why do you mention portugal?

[21Blitz]

@PutinProper I live Cleveland Ohio, U.S you know what the sad part is? Ever since the fall of the CCCP. America has went down hill aswell. Everything you listed from Education, heath care,ext. Hell even are Space program, is not what it once was. WHY? no racing toward goals, anymore no competivness between Nations. Not saying its a good thing, but just look at all the problems we as nations face now.

[TheUkr2011]

@PutinProper

Americans and its Europeans and love for it, the more people dies, the it it is better...

[vandboeffel]

@PutinProper Just came home from Riga, Latvia. It didn't particularly look like the Stone Age. And you didn't have to stand in a line to buy Giorgi Armani dresses, B & O televisions or even milk and bread :-)

[alieu156]

@vandboeffel In fairness not many Latvians can afford Armani dresses, their economy has collapsed since 2008. The country cannot even afford healthcare, let alone Armani dresses.

[vandboeffel]

@alieu156 I quite agree. But I was answering to the claim from Putinproper that the former Sovjet Republics "were thrown back to the Stone Age". As always things aren't just black or white.

[BringBakRok]

@PutinProper

They were also kind of far behind as far as things like food

[at72bd]

Thanks Gorbachev.

Congratulation Germany

Freedom is wonderfull

Evil Communist regime goes to hell

[PutinProper]

Pathetic looser, he's afraid now his own people to whom he brought so much pain and misery, hiding abroad under the protection of his guards.

He wouldn't live long if he decided walk a street in Russia. I still hope he won't die his own death.

[madbcc]

stop ashaming ur country

[MrDoublehappy]

Gorbachev was so much more different than his

predecessors they were ANDROPOV<CHERENKO<

BRESHNEV<KRUSHEV<STALIN AND LENIN the cold war which really started back in 1918 was always a stalemate. It was always as probable that this mexican stand off could have lasted until today if it had not have been for the re conciliatory nature of

GORBY. Reagans pressure and influence definitely assisted the process. I wish a Good future for all GERMANS to be proud of what they have endured.

[EmeterioBetances]

Communism Will Rise AGAIN!

[LLCoolPass]

unless another bureaucratic mistake is made liek the one that led to the wall coming down

[KhmerD0g]

no, like the one we have now in america where obama is bailing out wall street with trillions of dollars.

america will go bankrupt.

[LLCoolPass]

that was not a bureaucratic mistake, though.

[KhmerD0g]

if it is not bureaucratic mistake then what do u call bailing out wall street is?

[Sismiques]

☭★LIEBE DER DDR!☭★

[yo1dude1man]

He was probably thinking "Get out of the WAY!!!!"

[murk2002]

Go Gorbi, he was a great Russian leader.

[natlissits]

Great interview, Mr. Gorbachev ! Whatever criticism one can make of his presidency - he did the best he could at the time. If there is a one person responsible for the democratic changes in Russia and Europe, it's certainly Gorbachev, for starting the process.

[evee36]

I agree

[StinkingHombre]

Somebody needs to clean that shit stain off the top of his head!

[Popajaja]

Gooooooooooooooooogle:

"Why I don't like Gorby"

By Irina Malenko

[Zile77]

Gorby was nothing if not for Reagan. Of course the lib media hates when people go free, so they naturally cover Gorby instead of Reagan. Damn commies!

[kfinnguy]

Communist media not Liberal media but yes Damn Communist.

[Skoda130]

@Zile77

Oh, please.. You mean he just gave up after Reagan's "Tear down that wall"?

Offcourse, Gorbachev wasn't the only one involved, but he surely played his role.

If he had been an hardliner, the red Army would have gone into Poland, and East-Germany to end the demonstrations, just like they did in Prague, '68.

Is it necessary to point one single person for the wave of events?

I don't think that's fair to anyone.

[NYredwhiteandblue]

Reagan played a great role but so did Gorbachev.

[VictorWasechkin]

Totally agree with Igor707.

Today's Europe is a vassal of USA - the main proof is that U.S. military bases are stationed in Europe, not vice versa. But Germany is rising again, good it or not, but it's better than USA and their fascists like Prescott Bush that financed german nazi corporations during WW2.

[Skoda130]

@VictorWasechkin

You would have been right when the US actually INVADED western Europe.

But they didn't.

They have military bases in Europe because the have permission from the EU. I can't see your problem with that, unless you have your own plans with Europe?

[sunshinyday11]

Obama needs to get his priorities straight - maybe he does. He should've gone . Makes him look like a commie.

[420kushmaster]

i dont know that dont look like the real guy to me.

[Igor707]

People are rightfully not interested in cheap propaganda and abstract stories about "freedom" and the so called "democracy", but instead in the PRACTICAL RESULTS.

What are the practical results of the fall of the Berlin wall?

[Igor707]

1) ECONOMY: Throughout former socialist block, including Russia, industrial output is today less than it was during socialism. For example 10 years after M. Gorbachev started his "reforms" industrial output of capitalist Russia was 50% of the output of socialist Russian RSFSR. And few years after that even less due to great crisis of 1998 in capitalist Russia.

[Igor707]

Very recently (a year or two ago) GDP of the capitalist Russia became almost equal to GDP of the socialist RSFSR, however this was not due to investments in REAL economy but due to speculations on the oil markets. However as soon as the oil prices collapsed Russia sank into the third-world mud it came from before the communist revolution.

[Igor707]

Also, Russia and other former socialist countries in eastern Europe have been literally looted by the new oligarchs. Great majority of them have become rich by illegal actions - bribery, corruption, threats. Also most of the oligarchs are connected with the western imperialists and work for their interests against the interests of their own countries.

[Igor707]

Today many eastern European countries are in the most serious economic crisis - they left communism with almost 0 (zero) external debt but today these countries are in deep debts. Even worse, these debts are made not to capital investments and to increase domestic production but instead to artificially maintain unrealistically high exchange rates of their domestic currencies to euro and US dollar. This led to increase of imports and significant drop of domestic industrial production.

[Igor707]

Current economic crisis in Latvia, Estonia, Hungary, Ukraine... (where we are witnessing 20% fell of economy, hundreds of hospitals and schools closed, currencies dropped significantly...) are result of these policies of uncritical and unconditional embracement of the so called "western values" and "free market" ideology.

[Igor707]

Very recently there has been an international study/research backed by public survey in the eastern European countries. According to the survey majority of people in most ex socialist countries claim that during socialism they had better life.

[Igor707]

2) EDUCATION and SCIENCE: Socialist Russia, precisely USSR, used to produce more engineers than rest of the world combined. Today results are far worse. Today scientists still leave Russia and work for the countries which are often hostile towards Russia. Today eduction is less available then it was during socialism.

[Igor707]

Soviet union pioneered nuclear power plants, space technology and many other achievements. Immediately before USSR was (intentionally) dismantled Soviet microelectronics was only 3-4 years behind western microelectronics. However after capitalism was embraced there has been virtually no investments in research and development.

[Igor707]

3) POLITICS: Throughout eastern Europe, including Russia, socialist countries were ruled FORMALLY by one, single party. But within the communist party there were many very different factions/groups pursuing very different ideas and agendas. After all it is exactly due to existence of these different and opposing factions it was possible to have Berlin wall fallen.

[Igor707]

However today in the so called "democracy" we have many parties but all of them pursue almost one and the same ideology - the so called "free market" and unconditional and uncritical embracement of the so called "western values" embodied in EU/NATO regardless of the costs.

So in socialism we had formally one party but many real ALTERNATIVES. Today in the so called "democracy" we have many parties but almost NO ALTERNATIVES.

[Igor707]

4) SECURITY: During socialism Russia controlled half of Europe. After Russia WILLINGLY destroyed USSR Russia is now facing threats from Czech Republic, Poland even though MAJORITY of the people in Czech Republic and Poland strongly oppose installation of American military equipment in their countries.

[Igor707]

During communism Russia and Ukraine were in fraternal relationships. Today DESPITE the fact that significant ABSOLUTE MAJORITY of Ukrainians reject any notion of their country joining NATO, Russia has to beg western imperialists not to suck Ukraine into NATO!

[Igor707]

During socialism western imperialists didn't dare to (easily) attack countries world wide. After capitalism was embraced western imperialists destroyed Yugoslavia, Iraq, Afghanistan and today they threaten Iran.

During socialism USSR didn't force its communist allies in eastern Europe to fight with USSR in Afghanistan for communist ideology.

However after socialism was abandoned ex socialist countries must participate in imperial wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Igor707]

5) SOCIAL VALUES: During communism people in socialist countries sacrificed themselves for the community. That spirit rebuilt USSR and eastern Europe after devastating destruction of the WW2.

However after capitalism was embraced the new social "values" have become hedonism, greed, envy, chauvinism, racism. These "values" cannot mobilize people to rebuild their countries after they have found themselves in the deepest economic/political/social crisis after WW2.

[sunshinyday11]

men have the God given right of freedom and communism doesn't allow fro personal freedom .

[happyness01]

Igor707 - while you make a well informed argument, you fail to realise that all you accuse the west of being is happening in Russia as well (bribery, corruption, threats), do a little more research. As for imperialist Russia, well my brother's smart girlfriend came from an Estonian family who were lynched out of Estonia and banged up in Siberia for years for voicing the dissent in Estonia. Seems you try purport a holy Mother Russia impression when EVERY country has it's own sins.

[Cossakfreedon]

Gorby is a bogan!