A comment that distinguishes you from the majority of the Reagan-haters.CameronPoe wrote:
...one element of the Reagan legacy I don't despise.
One major difference is that the average soviet citizen circa 1980s (and probably even today) doesn't want to martyr themselves. They had no wish for death, so diplomacy was actually an option in this case. hard-core terrorists see martyrdom as a quick way to paradise for themselves and to elevate their family's status. we are dealing with a different enemy these days as they have nothing to lose.CameronPoe wrote:
Who here thinks that it is a marvellous thing and a great example of what can be achieved through diplomacy that Reagan and Gorbachev could bring an end to the cold war without having traded blows, exchanged fire or launched missiles at each other? I'm not a fan of US Republicans, especially not Reagan, but you have to hand it to them - diplomacy worked great for them that time. I wish modern US Republicans would take a leaf out of this chapter of history, one element of the Reagan legacy I don't despise.
how can you use diplomacy on someone serving baked children to their parents and who saws off the heads of prisoners? tell me please.
They probably had no concept of martyrdom; they were defending their country from the evil powers in the same way the Americal people were. Yes, I admin that pulling the world back from the brink was a mastersroke of deplomacy and SDI was the perfect getout clause for both factions but the real issue is how we ended up there in the first place.CaptainSpaulding71 wrote:
One major difference is that the average soviet citizen circa 1980s (and probably even today) doesn't want to martyr themselves.
Also, being English, how we ended up with things like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clKMqphQ67U
and then we voted in Tody Blair.... Go figure.
Good point... I hate Reagan too, but hey, he does deserve some credit for that. Granted, by the late 80s, the Soviet Empire was sunsetting due to its own debts and unwieldiness. If anything, Reagan deserves credit more for keeping the Soviets from attacking out of desperation as their economy fell rather than really causing them to fall.CameronPoe wrote:
Who here thinks that it is a marvellous thing and a great example of what can be achieved through diplomacy that Reagan and Gorbachev could bring an end to the cold war without having traded blows, exchanged fire or launched missiles at each other? I'm not a fan of US Republicans, especially not Reagan, but you have to hand it to them - diplomacy worked great for them that time. I wish modern US Republicans would take a leaf out of this chapter of history, one element of the Reagan legacy I don't despise.