Reagan didn't end the Cold War. That's a myth. He was partly responsible, but the kudos for ending the Cold War go to a lot of people, including his predecessor Carter, but especially to Gorby who risked his life to make peace with the US. He survived several coup attempts remember.
Others who deserve credit, the international peace movement, the anti-nukes movement which was very strong in Europe, the Germans and British, the Pope, The Jews, rock n' roll and the hippies, John Lennon singing "Back in the USSR", Lech Walesa, even Osama's Mujeheddin in Afghanistan who stopped the Soviets cold there.
The rightwing needs to quit exaggerating Reagan's role. He made a fine speech at the Berlin Wall, but Glasnost was already well underway by then. Kennedy also made a great speech there. But I will say this for Reagan, he did do a good job with the Soviet situation, even though it cost us an arm and a leg with the huge military build-up. |
