We all had hopes that Russia could develop a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. But their centuries of authoritarian government weighed against it.
It was a set up Gorbachev could and would have handed it but the west were so keen on stealing Russian funds that is why they forced Yeltsin on them and why we have Putin now. We should have had a Marshal plan for the former USSR.
I cried when Gorby resigned. He gave the West such hope that Russia could become a normal nation among nations.
I still have a Gorbachev doll I bought at a Russian store in SF, wonder if it’s worth anything now.
What I would give to be alive and old enough to know the significance of that on that day… even if they’d kinda come back. It would be so unbelievably hype.
I spent the following summer in Russia, St. Petersburg mostly. I was just out of
college. Those were heady, hopeful days. What’s happened since is a tragedy.
Many Americans were apparently very sad about this. They were so sad, they made it their long term goal to restore the Soviet empire in the form of an oligarchy run by a murderous dictator. As Barry Manilow once sang, “looks like they made it”!
Russia could have had a democracy in 1918 when the Czar was overthrown and Kerensky took over for a short time but he was overthrown by Lenin and his communist ideology which was no different than Putin’s dictatorship when Gorbachev resigned.
Imagine being a self identified leftist and regurgitating capitalist propaganda against the Soviet Union without any critical thought. Embarrassing. Be gone. I'm bored of you.
All that aside, surely , even you, can see how competition between the two largely equal nations would have the effect of positively influencing both and taming eachs worst aspects. Just logical. But again, there's all the facts and stats as well.
Shocking, you can't support your position. Let's ignore all the stats and figures about how the ussr was far better on human rights, workers rights, home ownership, equity in general.
I had such high hopes for the 2 countries to become great friends and jointly lead humanity towards a bold new future. Both countries could not have failed us (hundreds of millions of empathetic, decent ppl) any worse.
I wonder if the US should have been more involved in helping them to become more of a democracy instead of leaving up to the Russian mafia and hardliners who hated America for it.
What could the good people around the world have done to prevent the Russian Mob from taking over? What could have been a bridge to better governance for the Russian people?
That day when soviet empire died was a happy day. Those who naively believed russkies would have adopted democracy probably had never read Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago". Lo and behold, those same exact archetypes reign supreme in pootin's russia of today.
Thanks for making me feel my age, Michael: Late-50s. LOL! That being said, I appreciate this reminder, as the West's former opponent, in 2024/25 is presently showing its old ways vis a vis, Ukraine. And the president elect considers Czar Putin his friend, mentor, and "ally."
Fatal mistake, he trusted the US! Allowed the piss head Yeltsin in and started the rape of Russia, things could have been so different. We wouldn't have had Putin now.
Yes and the sense of humor everywhere was exceptionally dark. I recall seeing thousands of Jewish people camped out at the airport with their small window of opportunity to emigrate to Israel.
I was there to photograph for a joint venture with an American company. They had refurbished an old building but there was no paper available for their broken printers and little food. There was only hope.
Clearly, you didn't read the newspaper because it did a fantastic job of covering, under incredibly difficult circumstances, what was going on in the Soviet Union throughout the post War era.
One has to wonder how much you know about covering news under authoritarian regimes.
Without realizing the timing, I just finished that chapter of Taubman's biography this morning. I also noted the reference to your book, which is next on the list!
Good riddance to that KGB butcher. He killed 14 civilians over 140 were injured when he put down the anti-communist uprising in Lithuania. He also sat on the Party Central Committee.
Comments
I still have a Gorbachev doll I bought at a Russian store in SF, wonder if it’s worth anything now.
Ah, those were the days.
college. Those were heady, hopeful days. What’s happened since is a tragedy.
you're confidently stupid too lmao
That’s been Putin’s long game since he went to Bush jr hat in hand for assistance in how to run a “free and democratic republic”
a time of innocence…”
P. Simon
The feeling of hope and the fear of the unknown were palpable.
How to transfer state owned everything to a capitalist model seemed impossible (and apparently it was)
One has to wonder how much you know about covering news under authoritarian regimes.
(And a genius.)
The US could be more fair as well.