The The end end of of the the end end of theof the twentieth20th century
Some would say the twentieth century ome would ended say at the Y2K 20th — midnight century ended on January at Y2K 1, — 2000. midnight Others on would January say that, 1, 2000. as a historical Others would phenomenon, say that, it as extended a until historical the shock phenomenon, of September it extended 11, 2001. until And others the shock still of might Sept. cite 11, the 2001. Great And Recession others still or might even the cite election the Great of Donald Recession Trump or even as the real election end of the Donald long twentieth Trump as century. the real end of the Whichever long 20th century. one you subscribe to, August Whichever 30, 2022, one should you be subscribe considered to, the Aug. end 30, of 2022, the end should — the be death considered of the last the end personal of the end link — to the the death defining of the world last personal conflict of link the latter to the half defining of the twentieth world conflict century. of the It latter is the half day of Mikhail the 20th Gorbachev, century. It the is the last day premier Mikhail of the Gorbachev, Soviet Union, the died last in premier Moscow. of He the was Soviet 91. Union, died in Moscow. He
was Mr. 91. Gorbachev’s legacy is one of the Mr. most Gorbachev’s complicated legacy and contested is one of in the recent most history. complicated Was it and his contested bold initiative in recent or Ronald history. Reagan’s Was it his assertiveness bold initiative that or Ronald really Reagan’s brought assertiveness the Cold War to that a close, really or brought both? Was the he Cold another War to in a close, long line or both? of brutal Was Soviet he another dictators, in an a long authoritarian line of brutal who Soviet tried to dictators, save the an Soviet authoritarian system by who liberalizing tried to save it and the lost Soviet control, system or a by committed liberalizing democrat it and who lost control, admired or the a committed West and desired democrat to align who admired Russia with the West Western and values? desired to align Russia with Western
values? Was he a figure of great moral strength Was he whose a figure openness of great made moral ending strength the Cold whose War openness possible, made as he ending is largely the seen Cold in War America? possible, Or was as he a is weak largely and seen feckless in America? leader who Or was unnecessarily he a weak and feckless dismantled leader one who of unnecessarily the world’s great dismantled superpowers, one as of he the is
world’s great superpowers, as he is largely seen in Russia? largely seen in Russia?
The Russian answer to the last
The Russian answer to the last question has a very real current effect.
question has a very real current effect. Vladimir Putin’s bid to rebuild a Vladimir Putin’s bid to rebuild a greater Russian empire in Ukraine is greater Russian empire in Ukraine is an attempt to recover for Russia what Mr. Gorbachev lost more than three decades ago. It is also Mr. Putin’s Putin’s attempt attempt to to cast cast himself himself as as the anti-Gorbachev.
Putin the anti-Gorbachev repudiates his Soviet predecessor in one particular way that endangers the world: He has closed himself off from his adversaries. Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of the end of the Cold War was the genuine, world-shaping warmth that developed between Mr. Gorbachev and his American counterpart, Ronald Reagan. Reagan.
Their friendship showed that personal trust could overcome decades of mutual suspicion. It showed that two people could disagree profoundly, and even have wildly disparate interests and agendas, and still get along well enough to seek common ground and mutually agreeable solutions to tremendous problems.
It’s a kind of trust and maturity that’s in short supply in American politics today. Whether Mikhail Gorbachev was a tyrant who failed or a tyrant who changed, that’s one aspect of his legacy we need desperately to learn from.