Mikhail Gorbachev " a second American revolution in the spirit of perestroika"

[Swagman]

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Mikhail Gorbachev
June 10, 2009
Years ago, as the Cold War was coming to an end, I said to my fellow leaders around the globe: the world is on the cusp of great events, and in the face of new challenges all of us will have to change, you as well as we. For the most part, the reaction was polite but sceptical silence.

In recent years, I have often told listeners that I feel Americans need their own change - a perestroika, not like the one in my country, but an American perestroika - and the reaction has been markedly different. Halls filled with thousands of people have responded with applause.

<snip>

Elements of such a model already exist in some nations. Countries such as Malaysia and Brazil have achieved impressive rates of growth. China and India have pulled hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. By mobilising state resources, France has built a system of high-speed railways, while Canada provides free health care. Among the new democracies, Slovenia and Slovakia have been able to mitigate the social consequences of market reforms.

The time has come to strike the right balance between the government and the market, for integrating social and environmental factors and demilitarising the economy.



Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/its-time-for-a-second-american-revolution-in-the-spirit-of-perestroika-20090609-c25z.html

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Ah, who cares what that old commie thinks.

WE ARE NUMBER 1! WE ARE NUMBER 1! WE ARE NUMBER 1!

[snake in the grass]

7. USA! USA! USA!

That's all that counts.

[nxylas]

2. He's a commie

We're Americans, we don't listen to no commie. (Joking, but I'm sure that will be the general reaction).

[clarence swinney]

4. GORBACHEV

PERESTROIKA + GLASNOST

KEYS TO PUSHING SOVIET EMPIRE OVER THE CLIFF.

[Posteritatis]

5. But I thought Reagan's speech did that!

Save us all from conservatives' version of history...

[FailureToCommunicate]

3. "Gorby! Gorby! Gorby!" His actions to (unwittingly) help end the Cold War and

his speech at Westminster College, Misssouri, will be long remembered for clearing the storm clouds of those awful decades.

[Karenina]

6. Gorby is a BIG jazz fan!