Today it is 30 years since the Berlin Wall came down

[Baron von Lotsov]

Today is 30 years since that dreadful wall across Germany came down, what a great day that was IMO many thousands of people were free of the yoke and jackboots of the Communists, gradually the Soviet Union the Communists lost strangle hold and power was weakened and destroyed.

They got back into power by changing their names.



It's interesting to note the parallel in China where they had one revolution to kick out the corrupt, but then the power that took over was totally wrong economically, so they starved, and then had to have a second revolution in order to bring in capitalism. So for Russia, one revolution is probably not enough. If you include the Bolshevik revolution then it looks like it will have to be three times lucky.

[Churchill]

I won't argue with that at all

[cromwell]

Glad for the people,especially the Czechs and Poles.......not so happy about a lot of eastern europe though still mired in anti semitism and racism in parts and in the eu mostly down to the likes of Bliar et al.

[Churchill]

I was more concerned about peoples personal freedom, free to think for themselves, free to express themselves, make their own decisions , free to stay or leave  etc more than polotics or poloticians as for the games of Spooks another different ball game completely

[Borg Refinery]

Yes, getting better ( not a tricky answer )

"Russia's economic output plummeted 45% in the decade after the Soviet Union broke up.



From 1989 to 1998, Russian output dropped 45%, as the economic reforms following the Soviet collapse in 1991 took effect. By 2000, the nation's GDP was between 30% and 50% of its pre-collapse output.



Several factors are attributed for the post-transition recessions, all which made it a chaotic time with poor economic policies"



source businessinsider.



Child homelessness & prostitution; alcohol abuse, famimy breakdown etc were rife.



I am not a fan of soviet socialism, but I can recognize that the CIA engineered anti-democratic power grab and forced resignation of Gorbachev, full backing of Yeltsin was a disaster.



Had they allowed Gorbachev to implement his slow reform programme, the SU would have been much better off and the billionaire oligarchs would have never existed





They basically created a monster in Putin...a bitterly anti-western oligarc dictator backed by Surkov, his puppetmaster and Deripaska and many other powerful oligarcs. To paraphrase Obama, it's another CIA "shitshow" that has backfired so utterly spectacularly for the Americanskii - now Putin has done the same thing back to them and Trump is their puppet, just like Yeltsin was the west's puppet.



"Do unto others...."

[Churchill]

Do you think the Russian people are better off now? (Not a trick question.)

Yes, getting better ( not a tricky answer )

[Churchill]

It is certainly better than it was before that dam wall was built , was it built to keep us out or keep millions of people in ? the latter IMO and some who have never experienced living under such as terrible failed every time ideology and regime of fear still believe it is a viable way to live no way.

[Barry]

The ensuing reunification of Germany has made a huge, powerful nation. Their influence and economic power is great. The absorption of the East was not without problems, as there was a disparity in wealth and freedoms which took a lot of adjustment. Overall the result has been hugely advantageous to stability in Europe, I would say.

[papasmurf]

Today is 30 years since that dreadful wall across Germany came down, what a great day that was IMO many thousands of people were free of the yoke and jackboots of the Communists, gradually the Soviet Union the Communists lost strangle hold and power was weakened and destroyed.

Do you think the Russian people are better off now? (Not a trick question.)

[Churchill]

Today is 30 years since that dreadful wall across Germany came down, what a great day that was IMO many thousands of people were free of the yoke and jackboots of the Communists, gradually the Soviet Union the Communists lost strangle hold and power was weakened and destroyed.