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Mikhail Gorbachev has died

(www.reuters.com)
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lapcat ◴[] No.32655071[source]
The United States didn't do enough to help Russia transition to democracy in the 1990s. There was no "Marshall Plan" after the Cold War like there was after World War II. This was a huge mistake, and we see the consequences now, with Russia having turned back toward totalitarianism and imperialism. Sadly, it seems that Gorbachev's efforts were mostly for naught. But it was courageous at the time to open up the Soviet Union to glasnost and perestroika.

Of course Yeltsin was a big part of the problem too.

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jorblumesea ◴[] No.32655531[source]
If you study geopolitics and history, you might come to the conclusion that Russia was never going to be a democratic ally of the West regardless of how much economic aid they were given.

Russia at the end of the cold war had geopolitical imperatives such as a warm water ports, buffer states and desire for Russian hegemony that would have existed regardless of their economic state. They also have a long, long history of authoritarianism.

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lapcat ◴[] No.32656752[source]
> If you study geopolitics and history

Please don't make assumptions about what other people have or haven't studied.

> They also have a long, long history of authoritarianism.

You could say the same about the Axis powers in WW2.

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1. CRConrad ◴[] No.32674708[source]
> Please don't make assumptions about what other people have or haven't studied.

They weren't. Please don't put words in others' mouths.

And quit whining about the guidelines when you're violating them at least as much as anyone else.

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2. lapcat ◴[] No.32676464[source]
> They weren't. Please don't put words in others' mouths.

They were. To make it even more obvious: "I think someone needs to read a little more history" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32665292

> And quit whining about the guidelines

No. And your comment is blatantly violating the guidelines.

> you're violating them at least as much as anyone else

Nothing nearly as bad as your comment. Also, even if you believe that someone else is violating the guidelines, that doesn't justify your own violations, unless you have complete disregard for them.

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3. CRConrad ◴[] No.32697976[source]
> > They weren't. Please don't put words in others' mouths.

> They were.

Nope. "If you study geopolitics and history, you might come to the conclusion that Russia was never going to be a democratic ally of the West regardless of how much economic aid they were given" is only a prediction of one likely result of an action.

It's only a commentary on one's person if one is the kind of person who thinks everything is about them.

> To make it even more obvious: "I think someone needs to read a little more history" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=32665292

A later comment in reply to your accusation. And you're surprised you got it reflected back at you? Ah, maybe you didn't realise how well-deserved that was.

> > And quit whining about the guidelines

> No. And your comment is blatantly violating the guidelines.

Oh, not only violating, but blatantly violating, eh? Sez you.

> > you're violating them at least as much as anyone else

> Nothing nearly as bad as your comment.

You would think so.

I don't.

> Also, even if you believe that someone else is violating the guidelines, that doesn't justify your own violations, unless you have complete disregard for them.

Exactly. Ponder on that for a while.