Do I go?

[Texsox]

Mikhail Gorbachev

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Speaks on: Peace in the 21st Century

7:30 pm

Fine Arts Auditorium

 

Admission is free and open to UTPA students, staff and faculty. Doors open to UTPA students, staff and faculty only with their UTPA ID’s at 7:00 pm. The general public will be admitted at 7:20 pm. For more information, please call 316-7989.

 

 

[BigSqwert]

Mikhail Gorbachev

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Speaks on: Peace in the 21st Century

7:30 pm

Fine Arts Auditorium

 

Admission is free and open to UTPA students, staff and faculty. Doors open to UTPA students, staff and faculty only with their UTPA ID’s at 7:00 pm. The general public will be admitted at 7:20 pm. For more information, please call 316-7989.

I'd go if I had a chance.

[NorthSideSox72]

Definitely go if you can, and report back here.

 

Do we have a USSR flag smiley?

 

 

[SoxFan562004]

Sounds interesting. I would go if I had the chance

[Texsox]

It's either him or

Gibbs and Lt. Mann unite for a joint investigation into the murder of a Marine Captain who had access to highly classified information. Things become complicated for Gibbs when a witness in the case turns out to be his ex-wife. TVPG-DV

[kapkomet]

Dude, he was at the University of Dallas last night and I wanted to go so bad. I just couldn't get there with my schedule right now. Please go and tell us how it was. Seriously.

 

[Texsox]

Dude, he was at the University of Dallas last night and I wanted to go so bad. I just couldn't get there with my schedule right now. Please go and tell us how it was. Seriously.

 

I'm going. I keep thinking if this was a band, Tuesday night, no cover, they must totally suck.

 

I keep thinking he's less than a mile from my house, no cost, and I'm sitting here like a winter Texan, it's going to be crowded . . .

[Rex Kickass]

I'd go in a heartbeat.

[Texsox]

SRO with most of the crowd students. When he walked on stage it was a really cool moment. Bigger than life, but human as well. I'll admit to a certain excitement, but not nearly as cool as Konerko's WS grand slam.

 

Some housekeeping to get out of the way. Technically, it sucked. As he talked, so did the translator. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Five or six words from Gorbachev, then the translator talked over him. Very distracting, I was constantly wondering if the translation matched his remarks. Subtitles on the screen would have been much preferred.

 

His prepared remarks hinged on four themes. Globalization, especially how it affects the developing world. He said forgiving developing nation's debts has already been done, but teaching them to farm and buying them a tractor is better. The environment and how the US and Russia should be taking the lead. He criticized, gently, the US for not being a better example. Terrorism and the Middle East. Do not blame Islam, instead realize that terrorists target the poor and the oppressed with their rhetoric of hate. They find a desperate population willing to list and believe. They go to the very poor areas to recruit. The fourth was how Russians view the west in regards to the west viewing Russia. They are puzzled and hurt that the west would cheer when their economy was collapsing and their people were starving. Now that Russia is rebuilding and doing better, the west is disappointed. This has fueled anti-west sentiment within Russia. He proposed that the world benefits from strong countries. Since the US is the only Super Power, they have a responsibility to take care of everything, where in the past the USSR provided some help as well. He concluded his prepared remarks by quoting a great American with words he said he believes in.

 

"I have, therefore, chose this time and this place to discuss a topic on which ignorance too often abounds and the truth is to rarely perceived - - yet it is the most important topic on earth : world peace.

What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace - - the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living -- the kind that enables man and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children - - not merely peace for Americans by peace for all men and women - - not merely peace in our time but peace for all time."

Y'all can search who said this on June 10th 1963.

 

The Q&A was very interesting and showed his wit and humor. Asked about the upcoming election he said there are many candidates and it is for you to choose, not himself. (was funny in the moment). Another questioner mentioned that many people here in the US give Reagan most or all the credit for bringing down the Soviet Union. His answer was let them talk. (big laugh from the crowd). He had praise for the Cuban people, their education and health systems and believes trade will benefit everyone. The border wall was mentioned and he was asked to compare it to the Berlin Wall (almost no one down here is in favor) he replied he would not use the words that Reagan said (laughs) but that history has shown that these walls are bad and even though the US is very wealthy, no country has all the money and why spend it on this? (big applause). He feels the US could learn a lot by his countries problems in Afghanistan and their eventual exit.

 

The final question, actually more of a final comment, was delivered by a young lady and was perhaps the most fitting comment. In Russian she spoke rather nervously to Gorbachev. It was plain her comments struck a kind nerve with the former President. He replied in Russian. She then turned to the crowd, and was rather choked up when she explained that she thanked the President because his policies allowed her to leave Russia and come to the United States where she can teach Russian history, language, and customs to the students at UT-Pan American.

 

Upcoming speakers in this free series include John F. Kennedy Jr. and in February the one I am most excited about, Paul Rusesabagina. I can not imagine being in the same room with him.

[NUKE_CLEVELAND]

Another questioner mentioned that many people here in the US give Reagan most or all the credit for bringing down the Soviet Union. His answer was let them talk. (big laugh from the crowd).

 

 

They can, indeed, talk all they want to..........they are right.

[EvilMonkey]

Do not blame Islam, instead realize that terrorists target the poor and the oppressed with their rhetoric of hate. They find a desperate population willing to list and believe. They go to the very poor areas to recruit

. All fine and dandy. Except that they also recruit from non-poor areas, so that argument is only half right. And on a different note, I don't recall people here cheering when Russians were starving. In fact, didn't they get alot of food aid from the US? Some of his comments sounded like he was trying to practice a little revisionist history, like Russia really wasn't that bad, etc. But I bet it was still an experience to listen to him. I would have liked to have been there myself.

[Texsox]

They can, indeed, talk all they want to..........they are right.

 

All by himself.

[Texsox]

. All fine and dandy. Except that they also recruit from non-poor areas, so that argument is only half right. And on a different note, I don't recall people here cheering when Russians were starving. In fact, didn't they get alot of food aid from the US? Some of his comments sounded like he was trying to practice a little revisionist history, like Russia really wasn't that bad, etc. But I bet it was still an experience to listen to him. I would have liked to have been there myself.

All true. We took joy in winning the cold war, and we sent aid.

[southsider2k5]

All true. We took joy in winning the cold war, and we sent aid.

 

We even sent aid during the cold war. I remember grain shipments going over there during the early 80's.

[Jenksismyhero]

The final question, actually more of a final comment, was delivered by a young lady and was perhaps the most fitting comment. In Russian she spoke rather nervously to Gorbachev. It was plain her comments struck a kind nerve with the former President. He replied in Russian. She then turned to the crowd, and was rather choked up when she explained that she thanked the President because his policies allowed her to leave Russia and come to the United States where she can teach Russian history, language, and customs to the students at UT-Pan American.

 

That is very cool. For a young person like me who didn't "live" through the moment, my perception of Gorbachev was a guy who understood that letting go of Russias power/zeal to become a hegemon was the best thing for not only Russias future but also the worlds (mixed with an understanding that his country was getting poorer by the second). I also find it amazing that relations between the two nations changed so dramatically in 20-30 years (though it loks like Putin is really starting to trash their democratic spirit).

 

Is that an accurate assessment for those who lived through it?

[mreye]

Upcoming speakers in this free series include John F. Kennedy Jr.

 

I'd like to see that. Isn't he dead?

 

[Texsox]

That is very cool. For a young person like me who didn't "live" through the moment, my perception of Gorbachev was a guy who understood that letting go of Russias power/zeal to become a hegemon was the best thing for not only Russias future but also the worlds (mixed with an understanding that his country was getting poorer by the second). I also find it amazing that relations between the two nations changed so dramatically in 20-30 years (though it loks like Putin is really starting to trash their democratic spirit).

 

Is that an accurate assessment for those who lived through it?

 

There is a lot there. Certainly the events leading up to the moment, Vietnam, Iran, Inflation, Oil Crisis, left us feeling a bit defeated. Along comes Reagan, his great "tear down this wall" line. And we won something. We won the cold war. In reality, dispite what Nuke will counter with, The USSR was in trouble before Reagan and would have collapsed in time, no matter what Reagan did. And I think anyone looking at this objectively would say that Reagan probably had some help. Perhaps Congress? Maybe other nations? Perhaps the governments of many Soviet block countries.

[Texsox]

My bad, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

[mreye]

There is a lot there. Certainly the events leading up to the moment, Vietnam, Iran, Inflation, Oil Crisis, left us feeling a bit defeated. Along comes Reagan, his great "tear down this wall" line. And we won something. We won the cold war. In reality, dispite what Nuke will counter with, The USSR was in trouble before Reagan and would have collapsed in time, no matter what Reagan did. And I think anyone looking at this objectively would say that Reagan probably had some help. Perhaps Congress? Maybe other nations? Perhaps the governments of many Soviet block countries.

 

Yes, but you could also say that those Soviet bloc countries wouldn't have had the "balls" to do anything without Reagan's speeches, etc.

 

Don't get me wrong, I loved Reagan - my daughter's name is Reagan - but, I think he gets a litte too much credit from the right (Some act like he brought down Communism on his own) and not enough credit from the left.

 

[Mplssoxfan]

Yes, but you could also say that those Soviet bloc countries wouldn't have had the "balls" to do anything without Reagan's speeches, etc.

 

Don't get me wrong, I loved Reagan - my daughter's name is Reagan - but, I think he gets a litte too much credit from the right (Some act like he brought down Communism on his own) and not enough credit from the left.

 

 

This is totally true. Reagan was a good President, but the left wants to trash him every chance they get and the right wants to put him on Mt. Rushmore.

[kapkomet]

This is totally true. Reagan was a good President, but the left wants to trash him every chance they get and the right wants to put him on Mt. Rushmore.

Agreed.

 

[Texsox]

This is totally true. Reagan was a good President, but the left wants to trash him every chance they get and the right wants to put him on Mt. Rushmore.

 

I don't think most try to "trash" him. In fact I list him as one of our greatest presidents. But I also see some legacy issues that frighten me. The single most important thing he did was make Americans believe in America again. The second best cheerleader was Clinton. After the aging Reagan, and the grandfatherly Bush, (with his wife who looked like his mother), the youthful, sax playing Clinton arrives on the scene. We eat that stuff up and it shows in the economic numbers and everything else. The President as cheerleader is very important in my eyes.

 

What Reagan left behind was the GOP trying to recreate his Teflon image by screaming media bias, and our love of debt. The Soviet economy crashed under the weight of debt, and Reagan is given credit for that, who will take "credit" when we collapse under the debt?

[YASNY]

I don't think most try to "trash" him. In fact I list him as one of our greatest presidents. But I also see some legacy issues that frighten me. The single most important thing he did was make Americans believe in America again. The second best cheerleader was Clinton. After the aging Reagan, and the grandfatherly Bush, (with his wife who looked like his mother), the youthful, sax playing Clinton arrives on the scene. We eat that stuff up and it shows in the economic numbers and everything else. The President as cheerleader is very important in my eyes.

 

What Reagan left behind was the GOP trying to recreate his Teflon image by screaming media bias, and our love of debt. The Soviet economy crashed under the weight of debt, and Reagan is given credit for that, who will take "credit" when we collapse under the debt?

 

I don't know. I'd be inclined to blame those in charge when we went off the gold standard and put the Social Security fund into the general fund.

[kapkomet]

Speaking of debt, it's amazing that the levels are starting to come back due to the revenue growth... wow, supply side economics works every time.

[Gregory Pratt]

Speaking of debt, it's amazing that the levels are starting to come back due to the revenue growth... wow, supply side economics works every time.