Topic: Mikhail Gorbachev

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Walter Rodgers Reagan and Clinton as American idols? Not so fast.

The majority of Americans consider Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as 'outstanding' or 'above average' among the modern presidents. Pollsters and historians need an edict: Wait 50 years before judging the greatness of presidents and their legacies.
Opinion Russian elections: Putin 4.0 at a crossroads

After Russian elections on Sunday, expect what amounts to a fourth term for Putin. But Putin 4.0 faces a tough choice. His KGB officer instincts call for tightening the grip. But Russia's future – and thousands of protesters – demand greater freedom and reforms.
Global News Blog Russia's islands of media freedom are under attack

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev says management changes at a radio station were ordered by the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin. Mr. Gorbachev worries other news outlets could be next.
Global News Blog Good Reads: China's next leader comes to Washington, as US enters a funk

Lots of talk of America's decline but few suggested solutions as Chinese vice president Xi Jinping visits Washington this week.
Could talks over Iran nuclear crisis work? Turkish diplomat offers hints.

Turkey's foreign minister, in the US to discuss Syria and the Iran nuclear program, insists that the time for negotiations with Iran is not passed – and says Iran is willing to talk.
Gorbachev talks! (And Putin won't like what he's saying.) (+video)

Mikhail Gorbachev, a man who knows something about losing control of Russia, met with students today and warned of swelling protests against Vladimir Putin if he retakes the presidency.
Walter Rodgers Maggie vs. Gorby: the scene that ‘The Iron Lady’ forgot

The scripted and unscripted confrontations between Margaret Thatcher and Mikhail Gorbachev were of such epic consequence they could not be condensed into film. Yet we do Britain’s first female prime minister a great disservice in omitting them.
Walter Rodgers A CEO as US president? America is not a business, Mitt Romney.

Romney was a one-term governor, but he is surely the 24-carat chief executive officer. There are huge differences in skills required to be a successful CEO and a president of the United States. Presidents, for example, have to make life-and-death decisions that go beyond spreadsheets.
The Vote Was Newt Gingrich really all that close to Ronald Reagan?

In GOP debates, Newt Gingrich has mentioned Ronald Reagan more than all the other candidates combined. A pro-Romney ad accuses the ex-speaker of exaggerating his relationship.
In Russia, a new badge of honor for Putin critics: a jail term

The frequent arrests of one veteran anti-Kremlin activist, Sergei Udaltsov, have gained him a broader base of support among Russia's opposition than he could previously claim.
12/28/2011 01:39 pm
Huge protest demanding fair Russian elections hits Moscow

Russian protesters angry at what they say are rigged elections and the authoritarian ways of Vladimir Putin, flooded Moscow today demanding change.
12/24/2011 05:22 pm
Putin, in four-hour telethon, sticks to his guns on election (video)

Vladimir Putin projected his usual magisterial image in the appearance, ruling out any recount of the recent election and warning that foreign powers are behind the protesters seeking reform.
12/15/2011 09:37 am
Global Viewpoint Euro crisis and Germany: Is this 'indispensable' nation to be feared, or welcomed?

The euro crisis revives 'the German question.' Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had deep qualms about German reunification, predicting the country would dominate Europe. Today, Poland's foreign minister worries Germany is not leading strongly enough. Both are right.
12/12/2011 12:42 pm
Global Viewpoint Euro crisis and Germany: Is this 'indispensable' nation to be feared, or welcomed?

The euro crisis revives 'the German question.' Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had deep qualms about German reunification, predicting the country would dominate Europe. Today, Poland's foreign minister worries Germany is not leading strongly enough. Both are right.
The Monitor's View Obama must back ideals of Russia protests, not Putin

Protests planned for Saturday in Russian cities are a cry for dignity and respect. They deserve moral support from Obama, not Putin's heavy hand.
12/08/2011 04:50 pm
Mikhail Gorbachev: We should have preserved the Soviet Union

On the 20th anniversary of the Soviet Union's collapse, former President Mikhail Gorbachev says the US should have backed his promotion of perestroika, or political and economic reforms. He says that Vladimir Putin is dragging Russia backward.
10/13/2011 02:28 pm
South with the Sun: Roald Amundsen, His Polar Explorations, and the Quest for Discovery

Long-distance swimmer and author Lynne Cox traces the path of polar explorer Roald Amundsen – just in time for the centennial of his arrival at the South Pole.
10/05/2011 07:05 am
Putin's United Russia: Communist Party clone or modern democratic force?

Gorbachev calls it a 'bad copy' of the Communist Party. But the United Russia party has relentlessly trounced any serious opposition to Putin, who is now running for president again.
10/04/2011 04:49 pm
Global News Blog Good Reads: Protests in Syria, Soviets in Kabul, US-Pakistan breakup

Al Jazeera spends seven weeks with both sides of the protests in Syria; the Guardian's reporter unpacks a 1981 trip to Afghanistan, and Pakistanis are losing that loving feeling with the US.
09/28/2011 10:16 am
Russia faces another six – or 12 – years of Putin at the helm

Former President Vladimir Putin, who announced yesterday that he will run again next year, is likely to win. But falling oil prices may create social discontent – and push him to make political reforms.
09/26/2011 02:40 pm
Corruption hobbles Russia's Far East

Moscow is looking to Russia's Far East as a region poised for better times, and a building boom aims to make Vladivostok an investment hub. But young residents are still leaving the city in droves.
09/20/2011 12:59 pm
Global News Blog Estonians commemorate independence to the tune of a 25,000-strong chorus

Estonia's Singing Festival, which happens every five years, has become a symbol of the country's triumph over domination, oppression, and hardship.
08/30/2011 04:56 pm
The Soviet August Coup still resonates 20 years later

Twenty years ago today, Communist Party hard-liners staged a coup to guard against further democratic reforms. The takeover failed but triggered the Soviet collapse.
08/19/2011 07:00 am
Global News Blog Gorbachev criticizes Putin's Russia as backsliding on democracy

Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev chose a painful anniversary – that of the 1991 August Coup, which tried to reverse his democratic reforms – to criticize Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
08/16/2011 01:42 pm
Why Russia finally decided that beer is alcohol

Until Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the new law today, beer was considered the same as soda and sold just about anywhere.
07/20/2011 03:46 pm