Reagan's much ballyhooed speech, his Remarks at the Brandenburg Gate, delivered in West Berlin, Germany on June 12, 1987, has been getting lots of airplpay this week. It is the crown jewel, of course, in the conservative notion that Reagan single-handedly brought about the demise of the Soviet Union.
For those who would canonize or deify Reagan as the penultimate conservative, freedom fighter, much is made of Reagan's exhortation:
"Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
However, they either fail to note (or conveniently omit):
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate!"
Liberalization!
It appears that the L-word isn't as dirty as we have been led to believe.
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