Remembering The Fall Of The Berlin Wall And Soviet Domination: Commentary

GlobalPost:

I first saw the Berlin Wall in 1971. It was then about 10 years old and was the ugliest human structure I'd ever seen: gray, brutal, pitiless, unyielding. Unlike the walls built around ancient European cities (and the one being proposed for the U.S. border with Mexico), this one was not created to keep people out. It was to keep East Germans in. If they tried to leave the workers' paradise, they must go to the dungeon or the grave. Only Stalinists could have built this most vile symbol, people with hearts and minds made of concrete certainties.

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Comments

[Independent1969]

East Germany freed itself from communism after Poland, Hungary and possibly the Czech Republic which would make it about 3rd or 4th in line. East Germany is incorrectly given credit for ending the Cold War. That's definitely not what happened.

The Cold War was over when the Polish people, with the help of Pope John Paul and the Solidarity Party fought for more rights and free elections and got them both. Once they got their elections on June 4th 1989 they voted out the Communists from power. That was the beggining of the end for Communism in Europe. If you want to know how to make huge changes in government then study what happened in Poland during this time.

Poland's victory inspired other Communist countries to fight for their own freedom and to use Poland's strategy as a template. It worked. Within a few months of Poland's victory most of Europe was free from Communism and the Soviet Union was soon gone.

If it weren't for Poland's success it's very possible that the Soviet Union might still exist today and Central and Eastern Europe still Communist nations. Scary.

So for the sake of historical accuracy let's tell the real story and give credit where credit is due.

Solidarnosc!

http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090906/FOREIGN/709059925/0/GLOBALBRIEFING

[canuckgirl]

I never saw the Berlin Wall, but it impacted my life greatly. I got married in 1975 in Canada to an East German who had become a Canadian Citizen.

My husband escaped from East Germany as he was a border guard in the early 1960s.

I never met his family as they all lived in East Germany.

Unfortunately my ex husband died six months before the Berlin wall was torn down.

[Bacellar]

I never thought the day would come that the Berlin Wall would come down. Boy was I wrong. I turn on the TV and I instantly got goose bumps all over my body just seeing the people climb over the wall. They were jumping for joy and there were so many families reunited and it was one of the best feelings in the world. I was so happy for these people as they would be able to discover the freedom that they had been longing for. You could just feel the emotions.
Yet, 20 years later a Brazilian Man( Genesio Oliveira) is Barred From Living in U.S. with American Husband(Tim Coco) because of discrimina­tion.The Couple was forced separated !!!
"The Unite States of America Wall."
The two men remain separated.
Everyone should be allowed to be with, and build a family with, the person they love. Separate them is heartbreaking. You may not agree with gay rights, but keeping them apart is just so cruel and too much discrimination. The time will say that.
Obama, Are You LISTENING!!!!!!

[confidance government]

It was one of the most beautiful days in the history of man.

[Rog49Thomas]

And this wall would differ precisely how from the "Separation Barrier" in the "Holy" Land?

[loki]

funny thing. On Faux there was a short blurb promoting an interview with HW Bush where he says that the fall of communist Russia would never have happened if it had not been for Gorbachev's ability to recognize that the future belonged to capitalism. Once the people there had a small taste of freedom, they fought for more. Not once did he mention Reagan.
Then again, Ive also read and heard the Vatican claim that Communist Russia would not have fallen except for the talks that Pope John Paul had with Gorbachev. They too never mentioned Reagan.
Seems like the only ones who give Reagan credit for the fall of the wall, is a few neo cons and Fox news these days.
really though, even if reagan did have something to do with it, would he have remembered ?

[minimalist syntax]

I used to live in Kreuzberg-- on the West Berlin side of the wall. Once I was so intimidated crossing check point Charlie that I forgot my passport on the Western side of the border. It took me hours to get it back even though I had left it less than one meter behind me when I realized I had forgotten it. Another time I changed my West Deutsche Marks on the black market in the GDR and had to smuggle what I bought back across the border (in my car). That was stupid and scary as hell when the guards began to search for my sloppily hidden contraband. I decided to speak German with an obviously American accent so they would think I was an idiot American and just wave me through. It worked.

[MosheDayanHero]

I was there. it was an inspiring moment for all. We played Beethoven 9th on a boom box.

[KIVPossum]

You were there? I'm jealous.