[Politics] Gorbachev dead

[DavidinSouthampton]

One of the true greats of the twentieth Century.

Contributed greatly to the peaceful demise of all-powerful Communism in the Eastern bloc.

I can remember feeling dreadful seeing pictures of him with his head in his hands when Thatcher and Reagan refused to support him in trying to oversee a peaceful transition to democracy. We havea standing joke in our household “it’s all Thatcher’s fault”. In this case maybe it was. If he had been allowed time, maybe Putin wouldn’t have happened.

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

World peace owes him a huge debt of gratitude.

I was working for a UK Government agency at the time he was introducing Perestroika - he change the face of the cold war.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Smart man. And all for nothing if the clown Putin is allowed to carry on,

 

[Weststander]

Helped give us all some overall safer and less polarised years, many lives saved from far fewer proxy wars around the globe in the era he kicked off.

Forever grateful.

RIP a great man.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

The wrong leader has passed away. Who can ever forget those incredible scenes from Berlin?

 

[jakarta]

A great figure in World History, to end the Cold War peacefully (well except for Romania) was unbelievable.

I know it isn't a popular viewpoint but Ronald Reagan had a deal to do with it as well, if only to convince the Russians that the Arms Race would always be won by the USA...

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

Gorbachev with his guide in St Petersburg.

[Tweet]1564717398154002433[/Tweet]

Straighten your tie, Vladimir.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

One of the true greats of the twentieth Century.

Contributed greatly to the peaceful demise of all-powerful Communism in the Eastern bloc.

I can remember feeling dreadful seeing pictures of him with his head in his hands when Thatcher and Reagan refused to support him in trying to oversee a peaceful transition to democracy. We havea standing joke in our household “it’s all Thatcher’s fault”. In this case maybe it was. If he had been allowed time, maybe Putin wouldn’t have happened.

I take it that you have never read this

Mikhail Gorbachev: the Margaret Thatcher I knew

 

[Perfidious Albion]

He was a “one off” as a Russian Soviet leader,, a man who enabled peristroika and to whom the world and especially the Eastern European states owe a debt of gratitude.
Truly a great figure.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Gorbachev and Glasnost made the world a better place where we were all more hopeful.

 

[Green Cross Code Man]

Very saddened by this, such a great, great man, all of us who were around in the 80's and 90's owe him a huge debt.

 

[nwgull]

The wrong leader has passed away. Who can ever forget those incredible scenes from Berlin?

Fat Pete's stag weekend?

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

World peace owes him a huge debt of gratitude.

I was working for a UK Government agency at the time he was introducing Perestroika - he change the face of the cold war.

Pair of strikers you say?
I'm in

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Gorbachev with his guide in St Petersburg.

[Tweet]1564717398154002433[/Tweet]

Straighten your tie, Vladimir.

A little bit tighter and it might just strangle him . . . now there's a thought.

 

[amexer]

Has Putin made a statement

 

[Swansman]

One of those who are admired by oppressive, colonisation-hungry westerners, and less admired elsewhere.

 

[BadFish]

Gorbachev with his guide in St Petersburg.

[Tweet]1564717398154002433[/Tweet]

Straighten your tie, Terry.

Was he in Minder?

 

[Gwylan]

One of those who are admired by oppressive, colonisation-hungry westerners, and less admired elsewhere.

Yep. Interesting reading contrasting reports this morning: admired and praised in western Europe; reviled in the eastern half.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

Was he in Minder?

He did the Hamlet ad

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I take it that you have never read this

Mikhail Gorbachev: the Margaret Thatcher I knew

No, I haven’t read that, and it’s very interesting.
But I’m not sure it changes my mind.