Very interesting short piece linked here from the Wall Street Journal’s Opinion section yesterday by Ronald Reagan’s former chief speech writer, on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Sometimes it’s easy to forget what a dreadful threat Soviet communism posed to human freedom on many levels – not to mention world peace – and how remarkable it was that the whole odious scheme came crashing down with such a whimper.
The power of words, the power of conviction, the power of resoluteness, the power of truth… credit should be given where it is due, and along with Pope John Paul the Great, it is hard to think of anyone more responsible for the peaceful outcome of that tense conflict than the flinty Reagan. Truth be told, I’m ashamed of how I thought of him at the time, in my youthful naivety.
Anthony R. Dolan: The Power of Reagan’s Berlin Wall Speech – WSJ.com
