Gorbachev as an ultimately tragic figure

Asia Times ^

[FarCenter]

Few world leaders have cut a more consequential but ultimately tragic figure than Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, whose death at the age of 91 has been announced by Russian state media.

In a way, it was fitting that as the last leader of the USSR, Gorbachev was probably its only truly humane one. And it’s equally sobering that Gorbachev has passed away at a time when political repression in his native Russia has become stifling once more, and the specter of conflict in Europe which long overshadowed the region during the Cold War has become reality.

These were outcomes Gorbachev strived to avert. He was a man who became associated with opening up Soviet society, encouraging hope and debate rather than stifling it. He sought to revitalize the USSR, foreseeing a coming century of peace in which the Soviet Union joined a “Common European Home.”

[FarCenter]

Gorbachev's desire for Russia to become part of Europe was never going to happen, no matter how democratic and free market it could become.

A free market, democratic Russia as part of the EU would be the most populous, largest, and most influential member of the EU. This would seriously dilute the power of Germany, France, Italy, Spain and especially the UK.

The US could not let this happen, and since the UK was an EU member, the US and UK worked assiduously to ensure that it would never come to be.

[oblomov]

In other words, we’ve become like the British Empire at the height of her powers in the 18th century, tinkering & forever scheming in world affairs with disastrous results, gaining prosperity through sheer force and often in spite of ourselves.

[RockyTx]

Gorb .. turd

[FarCenter]

That was the outcome of WW I&II.

The United States became the senior partner in the alliance with the UK, and as the sun set on the British Empire and colonies detached themselves, the United States assumed governance of the world through financial manipulation backed by the US military, rather than through direct political control. Direct political control of an Empire had proved too expensive to implement.

This was the basis for the UN, Bretton Woods, NATO, the Five Eyes agreement, etc. Any resistance to the “merger and acquisition” was quashed during the Suez Canal Crisis when Eisenhower basically told the UK and France to sit down and shut up.

[ansel12]

Russia was looking for someone who could cope with Reagan and Gorbachev was Russian leader number 4 to face him, Russia had lost their best opportunity to attack the West in 1984 and Reagan had been reelected by 49 states that year, NATO was strong, the massive anti-war movement in Europe ignored by Reagan, Afghanistan was a disaster for the Russian military, and Reagan had invaded Grenada, showing resolve.
""Reagan offered to cancel the US deployments if Moscow would withdraw all SS-20s—the “Zero Option.” The arms control clerisy considered the idea “unrealistic,” designed to score propaganda points. They were wrong. After the US began to deploy intermediate-range nuclear forces weapons in late 1983, the Soviets folded. The Zero Option became the core of the 1987 INF Treaty. In a few years, all such weapons were gone. Their elimination constituted a key step toward liquidation of the Cold War.""

[LIConFem]

Gorbachev was a stone communist, who was just pragmatic enough to see that continuing the cold war would completely bankrupt the USSR. And yet we're all supposed to get all misty when people talk about how he "ended the cold war".

*spit*

[rlmorel]

To the Left, Reagan wasn’t worth a cup of warm spit, but Gorbachov must be canonized as a saint.

His main feature is he wasn’t old, broken down, and decrepit when he was General Secretary.

Yeah. Gorbachov was “responsible for ending the Cold War” in the same way Hirohito was responsible for ending WWII...he occupied the seat of power in a defeated nation.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

—> political repression in his native Russia has become stifling once more,

Yeah, that will never happen here /s

[LS]

https://spectator.org/mikhail-gorbachev-dies-meets-maker/

A much better assessment here.

[dfwgator]

Tragic? The guy got filthy rich after he lost power.

[1Old Pro]

Tragic? The guy got filthy rich after he lost power.

And was allowed to live in one of America's most expensive and scenic cities...until the dems allowed it to be trashed.

[FarCenter]

Thanks. That sort of explains why Gorbachev, unlike Deng Xiaopeng, was unable to hold things together in ‘89.

[LS]

Gorby and the Gipper:

A little different take than that of the worshipful Hoax News Media.

https://larrys.substack.com/p/gorby-and-the-gipper

[sergeantdave]

Yay, Gorby! God imprinted an image of what Russia will look like in the year 2200 atop Gorby’s head. Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor?

[kristinn]

very interesting read. Thanks.

[jmacusa]

Gorbachev, Yeltsin ( the deceased drunken Bolshevik) and the whole criminal gang that surround Putin are all thieves.