Gorbachev says Obama will bring 'perestroika' to US: report

[cal04]

Source: AFP

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev welcomed Barack Obama's victory in the US presidential election on Wednesday, saying he would bring "perestroika" to the United States, ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

"I am very happy. Two or three years ago I said America needed perestroika, and this was greeted with cheers in the US," Mr Gorbachev was quoted as saying, using the term for his 1980s liberal reforms that helped end the Cold War.

"It is no accident that the whole world followed these elections, including in Russia, where they were followed like never before. This shows there is hope that the arrival of a new administration will bring changes," he added.

(snip)
Perestroika - a Russian word that translates roughly as "rebuilding" - was the name given to the liberal reforms Gorbachev introduced in the 1980s as he opened up the markets of the former Soviet Union.

Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/06/2411529.h...

[snappyturtle]

1. K&R Sure a lot better than what Putin had to say! nt

[loudsue]

3. What did putin say?

I haven't heard.

[snappyturtle]

4. I heard the negativity first on Washington Journal this morning from

an article Pedro partially read on air and then there's this: (read down a ways to catch Putin's drift)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/06/2411488.h...

[HopeHoops]

6. I don't know what Putin said, but Palin saw his floating head say it from Alaska.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Well, let's hope he's better at it than Moscow Mike was. nt

[Diclotican]

5. cal04

cal04

We have just to pray then, that the american Perestroika doesn't ended as mr Gorbatsjovs Perestroika ended.. With the end of the Soviet Union all toghter..

But US NEED Perestroika, no doubt of it..

Maybe it could end the stupid spending on weapons in US too?..How many times the rest of the world is necessary for US to be safe when it come to the rest of the world. When you use twice the rest of the world on weapon, and still want to use more. Then something is deadly wrong with the country

And as everyone know, or should know, what broke the Soviet Union was the spending on weapon.. This was one of the biggest reason the Soviet Union was broke.. And the ethical problems who have always been a problem in Russia, And still are today..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english not my native language

[BanTheGOP]

9. Your English is ADMIRABLE, Diclotican! Welcome...

And let me set you straight on one thing. Gorbachev was the ONE MAN in the world who actually stood UP to Ronald Reagan, who was EXPANDING the missile bases in Europe, directed toward your wonderful people. Keep in mind that Gorbachev was cheered here in the US when he courageously started pulling back the weapons. In the meantime, Reagan continued the horrendous threat, but over time an uncomfortable thawing developed. Finally, the changes in Germany and the eastern countries continued.

Keep in mind that Reagan and the republicans WANTED the Cold War to continue for profit, but wanted to take the credit for its demise. A curious juxtaposition that would seem irrational unless you were an insidious capitalist.

Thank you, Mikhail Gorbachev! And thanks, Dicoltican...come back often.

[Diclotican]

12. BanTheGOP

BanTheGOP

Thank you I have been hare for some year now. But maybe the last year or so I have been more active here with a scree-name and such you know.. But have been here since 2002 I guess, in the upstage to the dam war you know started in 2003..

Gorbachev is a man who have not been given enough credit for the fact that the Cold war was not ending with a BANG, but rather with a wimp.. I know about the Missile plans mr Reagan was working, and indeed putting into bases. Even that I was little young when it happened.. Was in the lower school then 1-4 grade I guess, and was busy on other cases than to have an aye to what happened on the big stage.. In any cases, was not allowed to follow the news before I was 10 or 12 year old.. They might want to shelter us there home.. But I do remember what happened Berlin in 1989 when the wall was been tearing down.. And i remember that my old foster father, was telling us, this is something we MUST remember, because this is history - a hint to my own interest in history I guess.. And we was in Eastern Europe that summer. In Bulgaria, an it was definitely an another wind flowing there than before (have been there both before the wall was down and after) And in a few year even Bulgaria was a "free" country.. Yes i would call it "free" because of it is enough with just free elections, but you must have the institution also. And Bulgaria are still working very hard to get everything up and going.. Even that they have coming a long way from the year 1991..

Mr Gorbachev understand something that it was taking Reagan a lot of time of understanding.. The Soviet Union had just not the economy to be as military strong that US was. The USSR was already in the 1970s a broke country.. But in the last 1980s it was been staring to really hurt russians.. And even if we can say that mr Gorbachev was to late to help soviet from the brake down, he at least was there to get the brake down a far more easy downfall than it could have been.. Think if USSR have had twice the nuclear weapon it had in the 1970s and early 1980s.. Think if USSR had not had the courage as mr Gorbachev had, when standing with ordinary folks, and listen to all the problems the Russians was facing everyday.. The Workers Paradise, as some was calling USSR was everything than a paradise..

USA on the other hand, had an more modern industry, and a far better economy than the USSR had. And even that Reagan did spend a lot of money on the "star wars program" or other weapons who only reason was to wage war against the Soviet Union.. It still had some money in the coffins when Mr Reagan was out of office...

Today US have no money in the coffins.. In fact US are in a brutal economical meltdown, and it would take a LONG time before the US are to be out of the woods.. Maybe if mr Obama was given 8 straight year, and an supportive Congress and Senate. Then, just maybe the worst would be over.. And your creditors would be pleased to know that the US really want to pay what they have to pay others.. Now US are in te position that they can threaten with military much les.. But nothing more. And the US dollar have been hit hard the last couple of year.. I mean very hard.. 50 percent of the worst compared to other money is just blown away... That is pretty hard and would have made other country broke if it was possible.. And US is broke, really broke.. And have to experience a hard time ahead.. And it is not the democrats to blame this time around. But the wastefulness of mr George Walker Bush jr..

Please get the truth out, the whole truth about this criminal gang who have been rape your country for the last 8 year or so.. Please do the right thing, and put them in prison. Please do the right thing, and work _harder_ wit us who are your friends and allied in Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. (off course also south america) But please do it as PARTNERS. not as subjects to US whims..

If mr Obama are doing it the right way, we will help US when it came to Afghanistan And we will use far more resources when it came to defeat terrorism in the world.. It IS an reason the EU have been less than entuastic when it come to sending soldiers to Afghanistan at least.. Iraq have for the most been out of way anyway I guess... And your new friends in NATO, have been sending their soldiers home when the public was not happy about it anymore.. Or the government shanged..

Thank you, for give us in Europe a new hope in US.. Thank you, every one of you who voted for Mr Obama. You have no clue how happy I was when I was seeing in the news that mr Obama was elected President at 5 in the morning.. I was tired as hell, but I was going to bed a very, very happy man.. You have noe clue how happy I am.. O dear I am almost staring to cry her.. Thank you all..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

[Career Prole]

13. No need for thanks. It was a pleasure to vote

for Senator Obama. And thank you, friend, for your understanding of a people going through a difficult period in their country's history.

[Diclotican]

21. Career Prole

Career Prole

That is the last I could to.. To thank you, everyone of you for that. That you voted Senator Barak Hussain Obama to the presidency. And I know it have been 8 hard and tuff year for you.. Now it is time ti repair what is wrong with the country. And to rebuild the Bridges that was almost ruined over the Atlantic.. Now it is time to heal the damage who have given us all so much problems, and so much sorrow. It is time to start over my friend, to work together to a better life, and a better world for everyone of us It is a long way forward. A hard and long way forward. But for now. WE Should selebrate my friends. And be happy about one thing. The nightmare of mr Bush is over.. Finally, the nightmare is over. And the light was little brighter today, then it was Yesterday..

I for one would never live to se a black president in US. And now he are there.. Thank you again. It is th least I could possible do

If I have had the right to vote, i would ha voted for mr Obama.. But since I could not I have just to thank you, for all the hard work you have been doing and all the support you have given Obama.. It was, and are indeed amazing to think what happened yesterday..

Diclotican

Sorry my bad english, not my native language

[JustAnotherGen]

25. This was beautiful to read

Thank you so much for sharing your heart felt perspective with us.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

26. They have been taking credit after the fact-

but as you say they wanted it to continue- not just for profit (And yes, the military industrial complex does profit- I heard recently that the Pentagon admitted that they can't account for 25% their annual budget. Where do you suppose all that money goes?) but also for power. Right-wing movements require an enemy to rally against. It was true for the Nazis, and it's true for the Neo-Cons. I remember hearing some Republican admitting as much on TV after they lost the 1996 election. After the collapse of communism, the Republicans were lost. It just wasn't the same when they had only Clinton to hate.

Nobody was happier than they were for 9/11

[AlphaCentauri]

17. we got a Yeltsin before the perestroika not after

seems to me that we got it backward

[Swagman]

23. I think that was really Boris Yeltsin's fault..give him a bottle of vodka

and you ended up owning the railways !

[happygoluckytoyou]

7. SARAH "if those f'ing ruskies bring up that paris-trotksky thing...im gonna nuke 'em from Alaska!"

"i can do it too... got the guns...

[gypsylud]

11. Sarah: "Who's Trotsky Charlie?"

[JVS]

8. Oh dear God, no!

[KamaAina]

10. And Biden will bring the glasnost

no "undisclosed location" for Joe the Vice President!

[Blue_Tires]

14. "rebuilding"? i was taught it meant "openness"...

[LisaL]

16. Somebody taught you wrong.

[Career Prole]

22. Glasnost is the word meaning openness.

Both words were flying around during the same period. Easy to get 'em switched.

[Blue_Tires]

28. ah...thanks

[ngant17]

29. Glasnost and perestroika came out around 1988

or at least that was when the first USSR postage stamps came out to honor the new direction:

<http://tinyurl.com/5r6nhl >

[LisaL]

15. Right. At the end of all that good stuff, Soviet Union fell apart.

It might not be such a good idea after all.

[AlphaCentauri]

18. we are doing it the opposite way n/t

[Xipe Totec]

19. And Glasnost (Openness) nt

[HEyHEY]

20. Haha! We fooled the centrists! Our commie takeover can now begin!

[KakistocracyHater]

24. he would know that new 'Berlin wall' we're building

along our southern border is a waste of tax-payers' money; also that the Soviet Union spied on their own citizens & considered all of them 'terr0r1st' suspects. I can sttill vaguely recall Reagan boasting that they don't do that in America, a shame that those men around Reagan went & got all 'soviet' on fellow Americans.

[unkachuck]

27. thank you....

....comrade Gorbachev for the encouraging words....I think we all have our fingers crossed....