Yes, the "red menace" lives, Part 1

[SirJosephPorter]

Another myth. The consensus among modern historians, according to a Globe&Mail column by Doug Saunders on October 24, is that Reagan's confrontational policies actually prolonged its life by several years by keeping the most reactionary and paranoid elements in power. The Soviet Empire collapsed under its own weight of debt, mismanagement, and inefficiency. Willy Brandt, who started the policy of engagement and aid rather than confrontation and isolation, had more to do with it than Ronald Reagan.

That has been my opinion all along and I have had several discussions with conservatives about this.

While others may have been instrumental in helping bring down Communism in USSR, I think that lion’s share of the credit goes to Gorbachev. When there was rebellion in USSR he had a decision to make.

Does he dismantle Soviet Union or does he go the way of China (Tiananmen Square) or North Korea and resorts to wholesale oppression, continue with the arms race while starving his population.

To Gorbachev’s credit, he decided to give up power, dismantle USSR, rather than resort to repression. Gorbachev got the Nobel Prize for his efforts and I think it was well deserved.