To: geode00 who wrote (26835 ) 10/3/2004 11:42:26 PM From: Brumar89 Read Replies (1) | Respond to While not perfect, the Reagan administration's policies helped bring down the Soviet Union, rebuilt the military, and brought optimism back to America. ABC’s Sam Donaldson declared: “I think he deserves credit for accelerating the fall of communism.” And CBS’s Bill Plante agreed: “What he did absolutely hastened the end of the Cold War.” Matthews: “Is it your belief, Sam, as a straight reporter, an observer, do you think Ronald Reagan deserves credit for ending or winning the Cold War as a goal, as an accomplishment that he foresaw and achieved?” Donaldson: “I think he deserves credit for accelerating the fall of communism. I always agreed with his idea that communism would eventually be on the ash heap of history. However, by accelerating the arms race, he put the Soviet Union in an impossible position. They couldn’t keep up economically. They couldn’t do it. Why did Gorbachev want to reduce weapons so much at Reykjavik? Because he knew he couldn’t keep up. So I think he gets credit, the President does, for accelerating the fall of communism, yes.” Matthews: “Bill, is that your assessment?” Plante: “Absolutely. He may not have understood that the Soviets were as far behind as they actually were because our own intelligence services didn’t.” Matthews: “Another problem with CIA, right?” Plante: “Nonetheless, what he did absolutely hastened the end of the Cold War.” 209.157.64.200
