Americans have a severe disease - worse than AIDS. It's called the winner's complex.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
With Yeltsin, the Soviet Union broke apart, the country was totally mismanaged, the constitution was not respected by the regions of Russia. The army, education and health systems collapsed. People in the West quietly applauded, dancing with and around Yeltsin. I conclude therefore that we should not pay too much attention to what the West is saying.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gorbachev reflects on the mismanagement of the Soviet Union post-Yeltsin and cautions against taking Western perspectives too seriously.
In this quote, Mikhail Gorbachev criticizes the handling of the Soviet Union's dissolution and its subsequent mismanagement, particularly under Boris Yeltsin. He highlights the neglect of constitutional norms, the collapse of vital systems such as the army, education, and healthcare, and the seemingly indifferent approval from the West, suggesting that such external validations may not accurately reflect the reality of the situation in Russia.
Themes
PoliticsManagementYeltsinGorbachevWest
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about geopolitical influences, this quote can illustrate skepticism towards Western narratives.
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.
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The soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
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To me, nature is sacred. Trees are my temples and forests are my cathedrals.
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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.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
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