Indeed it would, had I done so.
Well, there we go, elucidator. Guess we disagree on some pretty basic points.
But … but … you mean Ronnie was *fear-mongering * a little when he talked about those Nicaraguan Contras’ tanks being only 2 days’ drive from our border? Whatever could he have meant? Hmmm…
That is certainly how it appeared to young Soviet dissidents like me. By the end of 70-s we were living in a state where our parent generation would panic at a single word of dissent, still remembering times of real terror (practically every family had someone murdered in GULAG), while criminal groups were taking control everywhere. The result was helpless rotten silence. Nobody had any hope that the system could reform itself. What was needed was a push from the outside. In that we were constantly frustrated by all the concessions offered by the West to Soviet Communists until Reagan was elected. Everything chaged after that. On every occasion he would do something that would drive Communists crazy and made us cheer and hope again. Of course he was not alone, there were Thatcher, Pope, Walesa… When Carter boycotted Moscow Olympics, Russian people got the message, as much as Communists tried to lie about it. From all I know, Carter didn’t like Afghanistan invasion at all, so he might have changed toward the Soviets if he got a second term. The time was clearly working against USSR and any president would probably follow a similar course as RR did. But I think RR was perfect for the job.
Those who criticize RR for being too tough on Gorbachev, forget that MG only appeared on the scene after RR was re-elected. RR was at his toughest against Brezhnev, Andropov and Chernenko. He was quite soft with Gorbachev, eventually even befriending him. However, Gorbachev was appointed by Politburo and thus beholden to it. So RR had to push him publickly, such as in Berlin Wall speech. Later, opposing faction within Politburo attempted to remove Gorbachev by force, was resisted and defeated in the streets of Moscow in public revolt led by Eltsin, Politburo power vanished, Soviet Union collapsed, world discovered that Russia is one of Soviet republics, Russians held first democratic elections in history, Eltsin was elected President… but all that was after RR.
I disagree with this. Ronald Reagan’s strategy was hugely controversial. There were massive protests in Europe, Canada, and in the U.S. against the arms buildup. The plan to put Pershing missiles in Europe was met with howls of outrage. Reagan’s ‘evil empire’ speech was roundly attacked for being simplistic and dangerous. Jimmy Carter or Walter Mondale would have NEVER gone this far or stood up against so much criticism.
In fact, I’m not sure Reagan would even have pulled it off if he had not been shot. By the time of the assassination attempt, Reagan was facing very stiff opposition to all his programs in Congress. Public opposition was mounting, and lines were being drawn in the sand. And this was only a few weeks into his presidency. Then he was shot, and the way in which he handled it gained him a huge amount of goodwill among the people. And Reagan used that political capital immediately. His first speech to Congress when he came back was not just a triumphalist ra-ra speech - he immediately started pushing for his programs again - and this time he got a standing ovation.
Eventually, the goodwill vanished. But by then, Reagan had established himself. But there is no question that Reagan was a polarizing figure. He was criticized even more than George W. Bush is today. But fortune smiles on the bold - his re-election came just as the economy was coming out of a deep recession, and the Democrats put up an incredibly weak candidate (what’s new), and Reagan was re-elected in a huge landslide, taking 49 states. That must have also terrified the Soviets - the saber rattler in the white house wins in a landslide!
Yes, those were pretty big and heavy shoes, and RR filled them perfectly. Carter or Mondale would probably stumble more and didn’t go that far; they still would have to be moving in the same direction, I think.