http://iperceive.net/berlin-wall-fall-20th-anniversary-the-meaning-of-ronald-reagan/ Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:16:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://iperceive.net/berlin-wall-fall-20th-anniversary-the-meaning-of-ronald-reagan/comment-page-1/#comment-13208 J. T. Evans Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:15:45 +0000 http://iperceive.net/?p=4069#comment-13208 It's probably safe to say that Obama adores FDR because he came so close to ending the American republic. He'd like to do him one better, and finish the job. It’s probably safe to say that Obama adores FDR because he came so close to ending the American republic. He’d like to do him one better, and finish the job.

]]> http://iperceive.net/berlin-wall-fall-20th-anniversary-the-meaning-of-ronald-reagan/comment-page-1/#comment-13207 April 38 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:15:37 +0000 http://iperceive.net/?p=4069#comment-13207 I've read widely on the period you discuss here, Kurt, and traveled considerably in the areas mentioned -- meeting with locals involved in politics extensively --and I would have to agree that 1) Reagan was the central cause of the wall coming down and all that went with it, with considerable assistance from Pope John Paul in Poland, and from Maggie Thatcher. And 2) you are right on about the roles of Churchill and Roosevelt. Churchill was less the cause than Roosevelt, whose hubris and indifference to human suffering knew no end. But they both bear much of the responsibility for the horrible suffering extending through WWII to the fall of the wall forty-four years later. Stalin of course is a more direct cause, and he also gets far less credit than he deserves. The loss of life and horrible suffering of all kinds that he caused, in sheer numbers overshadows even Hitler. I’ve read widely on the period you discuss here, Kurt, and traveled considerably in the areas mentioned — meeting with locals involved in politics extensively –and I would have to agree that 1) Reagan was the central cause of the wall coming down and all that went with it, with considerable assistance from Pope John Paul in Poland, and from Maggie Thatcher. And 2) you are right on about the roles of Churchill and Roosevelt. Churchill was less the cause than Roosevelt, whose hubris and indifference to human suffering knew no end. But they both bear much of the responsibility for the horrible suffering extending through WWII to the fall of the wall forty-four years later.
Stalin of course is a more direct cause, and he also gets far less credit than he deserves. The loss of life and horrible suffering of all kinds that he caused, in sheer numbers overshadows even Hitler.

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