SECDEF GATES TOPPLES ANOTHER RAYGUN MYTH

I've heard and read many times something like "Reagan won the Cold War" or "Reagan defeated the Soviet Union." Secretary of Defense Robert Gates delivered the Landon Lecture yesterday and gave us the truth about the Cold War:

Yet, through it all, there was another storyline, one not then apparent. During those same years, the elements were in place and forces were at work that would eventually lead to victory in the Cold War – a victory achieved not by any one party or any single president, but by a series of decisions, choices, and institutions that bridged decades, generations, and administrations. From:

· The first brave stand taken by Harry Truman with the doctrine of containment; to
· The Helsinki Accords under Gerald Ford; to
· The elevation of human rights under Jimmy Carter; to
· The muscular words and deeds of Ronald Reagan; and to
· The masterful endgame diplomacy of George H. W. Bush.

All contributed to bring an Evil Empire crashing down not with a bang but with a whimper. And virtually without a shot being fired.


Memeorandum has some of the reactions to this speech.