Progress Reports: Rudy Giuliani
Reagan and the Cold War
Before Ronald Reagan came along, the West was dangerously close to losing its will. Soviet leaders were flush with confidence, their communist policies on the march, while in the West many in the so-called foreign policy establishment accepted the doctrines of moral equivalence and inevitable coexistence.
Reagan realized that, to win the Cold War, the West had to rediscover its confidence. It had to be galvanized around not just the idea of freedom, but the principle that every person in the world had a right to be free. Reagan understood this truth and made it his purpose to communicate it to the world, as when he stood at the Brandenburg Gate and demanded, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
Reagan understood the necessity of negotiating from strength and the critical importance of leverage. In contrast to much of today’s diplomatic posturing, Reagan backed his words with action.
The Soviets learned quickly not to underestimate Reagan. In 1986, Gorbachev tried to use the international pressure for successful arms reduction talks to get Reagan to abandon the SDI counter-missile program. At the end of what had been successful talks, Gorbachev surprisingly said that he would not agree to any of the terms unless President Reagan was willing to abandon SDI.
Reagan refused. A lesser man, a lesser president would have stepped back in the face of the criticism that came his way for not meeting Gorbachev’s demand. But Ronald Reagan didn’t budge. A few months later, Gorbachev agreed to every one of the terms Ronald Reagan had imposed on him and left out the condition on SDI. I believe in that act alone the Cold War was won by Ronald Reagan’s willingness to stick to his principles.
In history, nothing is inevitable. Great events — good and bad, noble and tragic — are the results of individuals who exert every ounce of their strength to change the world.
Ronald Reagan is one such person, one of history’s causers, and a force for good in the world.
But his greatest achievement, and the one that surely made him one of the great presidents of his century, is the way in which he liberated — literally from slavery — millions and millions of people outside of the United States, and helped to produce a world that is safer for Americans and for everyone else, as well.
Rudy Giuliani was Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He is a trustee of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation.
Readers’ Comments
robert harvey | Posted on March 17, 2010 at 6:53 pm
A world that is safer for Americans and for everyone else, as well? Not. I don’t remember ever being attacked by the USSR.
Steven Preston | Posted on March 23, 2010 at 2:49 pm
To Robert Harvey,
Sir, when Chairman Moa paid back the Soviet Union in 1958 and 1959 with precious Chinese rice for the Red Army’s help in the late 1940’s supporting Communist propagation, over 20 million innocent/ beautiful Chinese people were starved to death in 1959; the single greatest manmade disaster in human history. It was NOT a food famine as originally claimed. Take this fact and consider the over 54000 American lives were lost in Korea, and over 58000 American lives were lost in Vietnam, all made possible with Soviet Union aggression and arms, to say the USSR never attack you reveals a tragic stupidity. Yes, a Soviet T34 tank didn’t actually crush your leg Robert, very intelligent observation.GE jet engines and Boing airframes defended your freedoms during your peacefull night’s sleep.
Steven Preston
Stephen Buck | Posted on March 23, 2010 at 11:08 pm
Exactly. He prevented us from ever being attacked without us or the U.S.S.R. firing a single shot or launching a single missile. He won the Cold War not just for the U.S. but for the entire world.
Ryan Fisher | Posted on March 23, 2010 at 11:29 pm
You’re right! The US was not attacked because Reagan made us stronger than them…thus foolish to attempt to “bury us”, as they had promised years before.
Joseph Hejaily | Posted on March 24, 2010 at 11:51 am
That is correct, you never were attacked by the USSR. The ongoing conflict was resolved in a manner in which neither the USSR or the USA fought a battle on its soil against each other. That is a win for both nations. Inactivity by the USA would have run much greater risk. Your children and future generations of Americans and Soviet states hopefully will realize this an be grateful.
Tom Hahn | Posted on March 24, 2010 at 4:04 pm
Some people don’t recognize greatness, because they refuse to look at opposing viwepoints with an open mind & common sense.The attack was there everyday…saying it wasn’t does not make it go away. Reagan eliminated a threat to the world by defeating the Soviet Union with out firing a shot. I would be willing to bet that Robert Harvey does not believe that the current administration is attacking our Constitution with a concentranted Marxist agenda, also, without firing a shot.
RK | Posted on March 24, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Why do these despicable liberals hate Reagan so much?
Scott Miles | Posted on March 24, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Thank you, President Reagan, for making such a positive difference for all of us…even for those who don’t realize it. As British Prime Minister Thatcher said, you won the Cold War without firing a shot.
Tim G | Posted on March 24, 2010 at 6:03 pm
@ Mr. Harvey,
That’s the point my friend. We (or our Western European allies,) were never outright attacked by the USSR, because Reagan was so strong in the face of their many threats. But the greater legacy is that numerous countries in eastern europe recieved the blessing of liberation from Communist enslavement because of Ronald Reagan’s vision and unwavering grasp of reality in a world populated by truly evil ‘Oligarchies.’ That alone makes the world a much safer place.
I dare you to go live in China (or N. Korea) for more then a year and discover the truth about what living with tyrranny is like.
Scott Miles | Posted on March 26, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Thank you, President Reagan, for making such a positive difference for all of us…even for those who don’t realize it yet. As British Prime Minister Thatcher said, you won the Cold War without firing a shot.
Scott Stroud | Posted on May 19, 2010 at 11:48 pm
Great Americans have always arisen at our darkest hour to bring us through to a dawn of a Greater America for all. President Reagan was such a great American. He brought peace in our day and did not receive a Noble Peace Prize for it. I always remember when he spoke to the American people he made us feel good to be an American. I love listening to his positive messages to this day. How blessed my life is to have known such a man as President Reagan. I have nothing but the deepest respect for him.