Americans have a severe disease - worse than AIDS. It's called the winner's complex.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
I paid too heavy a price for perestroika.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects the deep cost associated with significant political reform.
Mikhail Gorbachev's quote highlights the consequences and sacrifices made during the implementation of perestroika, the policy aimed at restructuring the political and economic system of the Soviet Union. It suggests that while change can be necessary for progress, it often comes with significant hardships and personal costs that may not be immediately apparent.
Themes
PerestroikaReformCostSacrificeChange
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech on political reform, one might use this quote to emphasize the challenges of implementing new policies.
More from Mikhail Gorbachev
All quotes →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.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
The soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
To me, nature is sacred. Trees are my temples and forests are my cathedrals.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
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.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
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.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
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