Gorbachev’s 1987 perestroika signaled beginning of the end for the USSR. Perestroika means re-building in Russian; it primarily referred to re-structuring of the Soviet economy, although it did lead to significant political changes in the Soviet bloc. It collapsed, erasing one of our two superpowers from the world’s geopolitical map, making for a unipolar and then a multipolar world… and the rest is really poli sci 101.
Twenty-ones years later, Mr. Gorbachev is back proposing a new kind of perestroika: for the US.
America needs perestroika right now. I did a lecture in the US and said the country needs its own perestroika and I got a 10 minute standing ovation,” said the man whose own policies helped trigger the collapse of the Soviet Union. “
(President) Obama’s proposals will be bigger than perestroika. I want to wish success to Obama and his Cabinet, because the problems he has to deal with are not easy ones.
Of course, President Obama is not exactly leading a Communist nation with command economy, but he does need to change, maybe fundamentally, the way economics in the US functions.
Interestingly enough, Gorbachev challenged the communist behemoth and ended up making it capitalist; Barack Obama, president of possibly the most pro-capitalist nation in the world, is perceived as ‘socialist’ by his political foes. He was in fact accused of being a socialist during his campaign. Remember Joe the Plumber’s accusation of Obama being on the ‘slippery Socialist slope’ of trying to ‘spread the wealth’?
Whether it is called socialism, communism, or any other -ism, Obama’s plan to ‘spread the wealth around’ makes sense in this economy. The supposed wonders of free economy led to the worse economic downturn since the Great Depression. What’s worse is its impact on the world; the recession in the US caused a domino effect of national currencies worldwide tanking, trade stalling, consuption fallin, and a myriad other negative effects. At least the USSR’s socialism/communism and its ill economic consequences was limited to only a handful of countries.
As Mr. Gorbachev knows all too well, socialism has many problems. As President Obama is learning, capitalism has serious problems of its own. It seems that what they need is a perestroika of economic theory, not just economic policies.
Interesting blog.
I met Gorbachev once – he opened an exhibition of Russian Landscape art in Holland. This was a few years ago, but he spoke rather prophetically about the problems of Globalisation. In hindsight he made a lot of sense. And although speaking through an interpreter, he came across as rather a nice man.
Good thought provoking post, Anna. After twenty years of self-employment in the U.S., I have definitely seen the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of capitalism. When I read that almost 1 out of 10 school children in Minneapolis, MN are homeless this year, I realized that economic troughs are much more than lines on a graph. Minneapolis has been losing good factory-based jobs for over twenty years now, and the results are obvious. Jobs that offer health insurance, and other good benefits to the average working person are rare indeed. Let’s hope the global recovery is strong. Children and adults worldwide are working hard, and hoping desperately for a better day.
Дело в том, что экономика США уже пережила одну перестройку в 80-е годы, притом по факту эту перестройку совершил бизнес, без какой-либо поддержки и влияния государства. Просто в одно прекрасное время компания Делл сократила время от оформления заказа компьютера до момента его доставки практически в десять раз (с 32 дней до трех), а Найк сфокусировался не на производстве, а на продвижении. Тогда же появилось и название этой “перестройке” – реинжиниринг бизнес-процессов =) Такой качественный рывок за несколько лет превратил экономики всех других стран в догоняющие, и окончательно закрепил лидерство США в мире.
Экономика США не нуждается в какой-либо перестройке, она нуждается в очищении от социалистической заразы, как и все государство. Уравнительная система в школах привела к отуплению учеников, система квот в университетах привела к снижению качества рабочей силы, и не трудно догадаться, как повлияло “равенство и братство” на крупный и средний бизнес, не говоря уже о науке, где светлые головы на вес золота.
Все, что сейчас нужно – это помочь “Атланту” вновь расправить плечи.
Could someone translate the third comment?
Copydude,
It must have been an interesting experience for you. Gorbachev always appears to have a lot of common sense, albeit bad political luck. It’s funny how many world leaders warned the world of the drawbacks of globalization a decade or so ago, but no one really listened. Well, the academic world is catching up right now, so it might enter general public discourse soon.
I am surprised he was speaking through an interpreter, actually. One would imagine that all these years of lectures at top schools and Louis Vuitton ads (ok, I am being tongue-in-cheek here) would have improved his English skills.
Sam, it’s kind of all over the place, but the gist of the second paragraph is that the US needs to get rid of the “Socialist plaque,” namely what I believe is supposed to be “No child left behind” and other similarly intended policies, minority (and other) quotas in colleges, and all the policies that promote what the French revolutionaries called “Fraternité” and “Egalité.” I think the idea of the comment is that once all these policies are gone, social Darwinism will prevail, and survival of the fittest will somehow improve the economy. I also think that there was a reference to Leviathan, at least to what appears to be a Russian translation of that term, which symbolizes the US economy.
Interestingly enough, it is a very typical conservative Russian viewpoint; the idea what there is no need for state support of, say, ethnic minorities, is predominant among many. Somehow Russians like to connect it to the stereotype that all Americans are stupid, and the US would do so much better if, once again, social Darwinism prevailed. Then the smart ones (street-smart, I am guessing) will make the US even stronger. Which goes against Russian’s interests, but who cares; it’s fun enough to make fun of those “fat stupid Americans” who “artificially accomodate ethnic diversity.”
Needless to say, I disagree with that statement completely.
Thanks again, Anna, for taking the time to respond. The typical conservative Russian viewpoint is as frightening as its counterpart here in the States. Considering our self-centeredness, and selfishness, I don’t guess it’s surprising that our viewpoints are so strongly influenced, or molded even, by our current position. I have observed that when my position changes, my viewpoint typically changes as well.
Sam, not at all. I meant to reply earlier, but my laptop was being serviced, and my phone is not convenient enough for that (it’s funny, but the first part of that comment actually mentions that the real perestroika in the US took place in the 80s, and it was carried out independently of the state by the businesses. Dell was cited as an example of that perestroika; e.g., they shortened their laptop order processing time from 32 days to 3. Well, they might have succeeded at that, but they could sure use being faster and nicer with their warranty services, especially to their college student customers who need to write term papers).
You are absolutely right; there are plenty of conservative people around here, but living in New England and going to my college, I mostly get to meet to more liberal ones. Yet there was a huge poster on one of the dorms a few weeks before the elections last year that read: “John McCain – battle-tested,” which I had to pass five times a week on the way to my Chinese class. It gave me shivers. Thankfully, someone complained, and it was taken down.
Russian conservative viewpoint is actually very interesting, and I am planning on doing some research in it this summer. It is an interesting mix of ‘regular’ conservative values (you know, family matters-abortion sucks-Slavs are better than the non-Slavs, and whatnot) and years of power politics bolstered by the love-hate relationship with the US.
By your ‘position,’ do you mean a socioeconomic one? I do believe that it is so much easier for the nation to be ‘selfish’ in politics when it is a superpower. But then again, some nations seem to have a never ending appetite for power.
Actually, I am using the term “position” in a much broader way. For instance, for the first twenty-nine and one half years of my life, I enjoyed perfect health. Physically, I could pretty much do anything I wanted; just as most young people are able to. Unfortunately, one month before my 30th birthday I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. Since that time, I have experienced quite a bit of pain on a regular basis, and I often find myself looking for the nearest available bathroom. Though I am still physically active and on the go, I am much more sympathetic and well-versed on our health care issues than I would have been if I had remained completely healthy. Another example would be my postion on race and racial issues. Despite being a child of the South, I have a very different, more liberal perspective/postion than most of my neighbors because of the influence of my Mom and Dad. As the years have passed, I have been privileged to see the world through the experiences of my friends of color, and that has had a profound effect on me. Of course, one’s economic postion seems to have the strongest influence on attitudes, opinions, and beliefs. As you have observed, it truly influences the behavior of our world’s leaders. Thanks for your response. Please keep up the good work.
Apologies for replying late — it’s crunch time for me, as I have to finish off my school year and prepare for study abroad at the same time.
Your comment actually highlights one of the reasons behind the gap between the economic North and the economic South; when a state is in a position of power, it finds it very difficult to be emphatic towards the less lucky ones. It only starts realizing what it feels like to be less privileged when it loses that position, yet this is when it cannot do much to change the world. Same applies to individuals, of course.
I myself have learned much more about the less fortunate parts of the worlds from actually being there and getting first-hand experience, not from listening to our renowned professors in class…
Занимательная интересная статья Да и в отличие от большинства других подобных советов воду в уши не льешь
Сорри за оффтоп, кто-нить смотрел ролики на ютьюбе про конец света? Ну, про андронный колайдер Ваще страшно!
Согласен, что пост получился удачным. Хорошая работа!
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Anna, when you have a chance, could you please translate the last few comments? I hope you are having a good break.