Homework Help RE:Reagan v Soviet Union

FreeRepublic ^ | 4/22/07 | self

[txroadkill]

Need some help with a Western Civ. paper I'm writing. It's over a book on the fall of the Soviet Union and it is really a Liberal piece of sh--- er, crap. It focuses on the economic ruin and corruption and completely discounts the Political roles of Reagan, Thatcher and Pope John Paul. In fact, it limits Reagan's contributions to one sentence stating that his "anti-communist speech did little to help things and caused the hardliners to move even further away from Glasnost". It's one of those "Socialism would have worked if it wasn't for the corrupt politicians" view points.

I've got a lot of good stuff on Reagan, Thatcher and even included the Pope's threat to resign and lead the Polish resistance if one Soviet tank crossed the boarder, but I'm about 600 words short so I'm looking for something else and a source to fill about any of the 3 or any other world leader I may have over looked.

Thanks!

[txroadkill]

Come on Condi....we all know you Lurk here, sign up and help me out.

[Army Air Corps]

Does the book mention anything about events prior to the 1980s (e.g. Khrushchev’s replacement by Brezhnev)? does it mention anything about Eastern European efforts to cast-off the Soviet yoke?

[txroadkill]

yes...but not really, it's more about the internal so there is a lot about Brezhnev and the Brezhnev Doctrine (Never give up territory), but not about what was happening outside of the Soviet Union.

My instructor is a conservative and she assigned the book for us to argue it. So she picked a good one. The book actually gives credit to the teachings of Islam for the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan. So I've got a lot of stuff about the CIA and stingers.

[Draco]

Some believe Reagan spent the Soviets into their downfall. He refused to scuttle SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative, derisively called “Star Wars”) when he met with Gorbachev.

The Soviets, unlike the Congressional Democrats, believed SDI could work — against them. So they directed even a greater percentage of their GDP toward military research and manufacture to counter SDI. (The USSR already spent a huge fraction of its GDP on its military.)

There is a good argument to be made that this additional stress on the Soviet economy brought about the overthrow of Gorbachev and the hard-liners’ eventually unsuccessful attempt to retain power.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Your computer isn’t able to access Google or something?

[Army Air Corps]

Does the book make mention of Glasnost being a policy of expediency? The Soviet economy had long been in the crapper and crime in the USSR had been steadily rising since the 1970s (although, this was recorded in government stats and not in Pravda).

[txroadkill]

Google isn’t as smart as FReepers.

[Army Air Corps]

Indeed, that was part of the equation. Some books report that the USSR spent as much as 60% of GDP on the military during the height of Reagan’s military spending. Also, despite our military increases, we still did not dedicate a huge percentage of GDP in military spending. That is, military spending did not demand as much of our GDP as it did that of the Soviets.

[GSlob]

Just expand on the “evil empire” - what did [and do] these words mean? Evil landscape?- no, although it has been, and remains, environmentally ruined. Evil flora and fauna?- obviously no. Thus it has to mean evil people living, generating, and reproducing adequate to them their evil way of life [i.e. how they relate to their groups and to one another in socially important situations]. Thus, since these people could not [and did not] change their fundamental sociological natures and way of life overnight in 1991, it necessarily follows that the evil empire is alive and well, albeit in currently diminished circumstances. Now, from such analysis necessarily follows the superficiality of gorbachev and everything about him, and the normality [in terms of adequacy to that way of life] of putin. Well, I’ve already given you >100 words - write the other 500 yourself.

[txroadkill]

That’s pretty much where my paper goes. But I completely give Reagan credit for forcing the Soviet Military budget to rise from $101 Billion to $130 Billion in just a few years and forcing the Soviets into an bigger arms race that came at the worse possible time for the USSR. I argued that Reagan was so well informed by the CIA that he knew the Soviets could not resist spending to prevent SDI and it would topple what was left of the economy. He knew they were already spending 14% of their GNP on defense as it was. Absolutely brilliant.....and the Dems called him stupid.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Even Google will link to some sites that’ll give you answers. They’re not that liberal you know.

[txroadkill]

I was really just looking for something small and over looked. I got the basics covered, but I’m hoping that there are some Freepers in the know that can point me to something that isn’t really well known. I know there are Freepers who played roles in the fall of the USSR and I’m hoping to tap into that resource.

[Draco]

Army Air Corps more precisely states what I was getting at. The Reagan build-up (600 ship Navy, Pershing Missiles in West Germany, etc.) hastened the fall. SDI really scared the Soviets, but it was only part of what they had to respond to.

There is the story about Reagan that I do not know is actually true, though it captures his approach. Estimates of Soviet power and analyses of the US/USSR relationship focused on Soviet strengths to which the US should respond. Reagan and his staff also wanted Soviet weaknesses analyzed and exploited. Hence the use of economic as well as military means.

[Army Air Corps]

Hence the use of economic as well as military means.

Absolutely. Reagan's team devised a multi-pronged approach. They knew that the Soviet economic picture was not pretty. Production and material shortages, shortages of basic commodities, internal divisions, etc were many, but that the State was still able to maintain some control. Buy compelling the Soviets to divert even more to their military, these internal problems became more pronounced and the Old Guard in the CPSU and Politburo had to find some way to save their arses. Hence, Glasnost and Perestroika were devised as means to try to maintain the grasp of the state.

[Draco]

Not to overstate but Soviet economic figures were notoriously off. They used a system called “GOSPLAN” which set 5 year production targets — command economy style. Managers claimed to meet these figures, but often did not. The 14% GNP figure is in my estimate, rather low. The real numbers would never be publicly known. Moreover, with so much inefficiency in the system, a good fraction of defense spending was wasted.

[Army Air Corps]

Don’t forget Reagan’s efforts to undercut key supports of the Soviet economy. His team cajoled the Saudis and others to glut the petroleum market so that Soviet petroleum revenues would drop. His team also is said by many scholars to be responsible for doing the same to Soviet gold (encouraging over production so as to devalue Soviet gold).

[martin_fierro]

An essay on Reagan vs the Soviet Union

Think back to the first time you ever heard of Reagan vs the Soviet Union. At one stage or another, every man woman or child will be faced with the issue of Reagan vs the Soviet Union. Cited by many as the single most important influence on post modern micro eco compartmentalism, Reagan vs the Soviet Union is not given the credit if deserves for inspiring many of the worlds famous painters. Crossing many cultural barriers it still draws remarks such as 'I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole' and 'i'd rather eat wasps' from global commercial enterprises, many of whom blame the influence of television. With the primary aim of demonstrating my considerable intellect I will now demonstrate the complexity of the many faceted issue that is Reagan vs the Soviet Union.

Social Factors

Society is our own everyday reality. When blues legend 'Bare Foot D' remarked 'awooooh eeee only my dawg understands me' [1] he was clearly refering to the impact of Reagan vs the Soviet Union on today's society. More a melody to societies dysfunctions than a parody of the self, Reagan vs the Soviet Union smells of success.

Some analysts have been tempted to disregard Reagan vs the Soviet Union. I haven�t. To put it simply, people like Reagan vs the Soviet Union.

Economic Factors

We no longer live in a world which barters 'I'll give you three cows for that hat, it�s lovely.' Our existance is a generation which cries 'Hat - $20.' We will begin by looking at the Lead-a-Duck-to-Water model, which I hope will be familiar to most readers.

Cost Of Living
		Reagan vs the Soviet Union

Indisputably there is a link. How can this be explained? Obviously the cost of living will continue to follow Reagan vs the Soviet Union for the foreseeable future. Strong fluctuations in investor confidence have been seen over the past two financial years.

Political Factors

The media have made politics quite a spectacle. Comparing current political thought with that held just ten years ago is like comparing Reagan vs the Soviet Union now, and its equivalent in the 1800s.

Let us consider the words of that silver tongued orator, nobel prize winner Aaron Tuigamala 'People in glass houses shouldn't through parties.' [2] Considered by many to be one of the 'Founding Fathers' of Reagan vs the Soviet Union, his words cannot be over-looked. If Reagan vs the Soviet Union be the food of politics, play on. I wait anxiously. What will the next few years bring for Reagan vs the Soviet Union?

Conclusion

How much responsibility lies with Reagan vs the Soviet Union? We can say that Reagan vs the Soviet Union may not be the best thing since sliced bread, but it's still important. It enriches, applauds greatness and it brings the best out in people.

The final say goes to the award winning Clint Jackson: 'Oooh yeah Reagan vs the Soviet Union shoo badaby dooo.' [3]

---

[1] Bare Foot D - Classic - 1967 Stinton Records

[2] Tuigamala - Captain Sir - 1844 Inevitable Publishing

[3] Get On The Bus - Issue 321 - Media Books

[Army Air Corps]

Moreover, with so much inefficiency in the system, a good fraction of defense spending was wasted.

That is an understatement. Also, with the Soviet system, there was no real incentive to exceed production goals. The GOSPLAN system was not really flexible. If you, as a state enterprise manager, actually exceeded a goal, then that higher production rate became your new goal regardless of whether demand ever actually increased.

[donna]

June 06, 2004, 4:19 p.m.
Russian Revolution
How Reagan won the cold war.
http://www.nationalreview.com/flashback/dsouza200406061619.asp

The Greats
December 31, 2006
http://nrd.nationalreview.com/article/?q=NTEyYjAwZmQyMTg0ZDIwMDc3ZjA1ZmU4OTQ2NjViNmQ=

How Reagan won the Cold War.
Posted Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at 7:29 PM ET
http://www.slate.com/id/2102081/

[bad company]

He stunned the Soviet Union with his tough rhetoric, calling it an “evil empire” whose leaders gave themselves the “right to commit any crime.” His famed “Star Wars” program drew the Soviets into a costly arms race they couldn’t afford. His 1987 declaration to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev at the Berlin Wall — “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” — was the ultimate challenge of the Cold War.

http://www.templetonthorp.com/en/news660