Americans have a severe disease - worse than AIDS. It's called the winner's complex.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
Gentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about Glasnost and Perestroika and democracy in the coming years. They are primarily for outward consumption. There will be no significant internal changes in the Soviet Union, other than for cosmetic purposes. Our purpose is to disarm the Americans and let them fall asleep.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gorbachev warns that reforms in the Soviet Union are mainly superficial and aimed at misleading the West.
In this quote, Mikhail Gorbachev expresses skepticism about the genuine nature of the reforms known as Glasnost and Perestroika, suggesting that they are largely for show and intended to create a façade of progress. He believes that the real aim is to disarm and distract the United States, implying a strategic approach to international relations that prioritizes appearance over reality and underscores the complexities of political change in authoritarian regimes.
Themes
GlasnostPerestroikaSoviet UnionPoliticsDeception
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on international relations, this quote can highlight the importance of skepticism towards political reforms.
More from Mikhail Gorbachev
All quotes →The soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
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New approaches are needed, new orientations in both thought and action. We must make the transition to a new civilization...We are talking of a transition toward a new civilization. No one knows what it will be like. What is important is to orient in that direction... I am convinced that a new civilization will inevitably take on certain features that are characteristic of, or inherent in, the socialist ideal.
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According to Lenin, socialism and democracy are indivisible.... The essence of perestroika lies in the fact that it unites socialism with democracy and revives the Leninist concept of socialist construction both in theory and in practice. We want more socialism and, therefore, more democracy.
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Democracy is the wholesome and pure air without which a socialist public organization cannot live a full-blooded life.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
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