Success is Always Sweeter After Rubbing Someone's Face in it
- Khrushchev's "We will bury you" speech was a big deal around the Western world. Of course, many years later, we found out it was a bad translation, but whatevs.
- Reagan didn't know that at this time. He was just using that comment as a launching-off point for his counterattack, which was basically pointing out that communist countries weren't doing so hot and capitalist and democratic ones were.
- He specifically pointed out the inability for some communist countries to even feed their own peeps, while Western countries prospered.
- But there's a light at the end of the Soviet tunnel, and it might not even be a train.
- Reagan makes reference to Gorbachev's new reformist measures, perestroika (economic growth measures) and glasnost (increased individual freedom and liberty).
- But we don't know—are the Soviets genuine about reform? Or are they bluffing?
- Of course we in the West know that freedom and the betterment of humankind go together like peanut butter and chocolate, and if the Soviets really want to demonstrate their dedication to the freedom cause, there is one thing they can do…
- They can tear down this wall.
- This is clearly the most famous line of this speech. Reagan is entreating Mikhail Gorbachev, his friend and his foe, to remove the Berlin Wall and the divisions it physically and metaphorically represents.
- Everyone loves demolition day, right?