DU Poll: Reagan policy brought down the Berlin Wall & 30 years later the middle class

[Omaha Steve]

http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/historicdocuments/a/teardownwall.htm

By Robert Longley, About.com Guide

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan spoke the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the Berlin wall. Due to the amplification system being used, the President's words could also be heard on the Eastern (Communist-controlled) side of the wall. The address Reagan delivered that day is considered by many to have affirmed the beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism. On Nov. 9-11, 1989, the people of a free Berlin tore down that wall.

Snip: "General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!'"

[Zywiec]

1. I'm a John Hinckley, Jr fan club member?

Wow, can't wait to see how many fans of someone that shot at a president...

[liberal N proud]

2. Putting Reagan on currency would raise the price of toilet paper exponentially

[Bucky]

3. TY

Thanks

[Omaha Steve]

4. Early morning (AM radio) gone bad

Done.

[Bucky]

5. The Berlin Wall was brought down more by Nixon & detente (and by Levi Strauss & Mickey Mouse)

It was the inevitable relaxing of tensions between the East & West, followed by the trickle of cultural exchange across the iron curtain, that showed two generations of Eastern Europeans what they were missing out on by having a command economy in a world of awesome digital watches and souped up El Caminos. The Republicans you can most credit with the ending of the Cold War are JR Ewing, Elvis Presley, and Alexis Carrington. The Wall came down because communism doesn't allow the people to have cool stuff.

To be fair, Reagan did play an incredibly important roll in the defeat of Soviet Communism--almost as much as Gorbachev did. His brinksmanship, his nutty Star Wars fantasy (which the Soviet army believed, God bless 'em), and his unflagging anticommunist rhetoric had an impact. His somewhat flaky proposals to entirely end nuclear weapons are amazing, seen in context and for what they might have achieved had they been carried through.

On the other hand, we can never forget what Reagan did to support terrorism in Central America. He was a real mixed bag.

[Omaha Steve]

6. Kick

[ellenfl]

7. Pink Floyds "The Wall" rocks . . . but i had to go with the first answer, eom

[Omaha Steve]

8. Kick