Posts Tagged ‘Mikhail Gorbachev’
Is Obama on the Gorbachev Path-I?
Indeed, the international situation is still complicated. The dangers to which we have no right to turn a blind eye remain. There has been some change, however, or, at least, change is starting….A new, democratic philosophy of international relations, of world politics is breaking through… Considering that world public opinion and the peoples of the world are very concerned about the situation in the world, our policy is an invitation to dialogue, to a search, to a better world, to normalization of international relations.
The above is an excerpt from Mikhail Gorbachev’s speech in 1987. The words have an uncanny sense of semblance to the recent foreign policy speeches of President Obama. The foreign policy vision of Gorbachev and Obama share a commonality: the acknowledgement that challenges persists yet there room for change. This post explores what makes President Obama’s foreign policy objectives challenging and promising.
Is President Obama on the Gorbachev Path?
Mikhail Gorbachev was a victim of his own reform movement. Though praised internationally for his bold vision, Gorbachev’s popularity dipped dramatically in the erstwhile U.S.S.R. The vision and rhetoric of reform is more appealing than actual reform process. Is President Obama treading the Gorbachev path? Or is it still too early to decide? I must confess that the comparison here is not about the impact of reform policies on the political system but more specifically on the political future of the two leaders.
President Obama’s approach and policies in four particular areas can be referred to as ‘reformatory’ if not revolutionary: narratives on race in the country, foreign relations of the U.S., health care in America and issues of fiscal responsibility. This four part analysis will deal with each aspect in detail. The objective is to review the kind of reform that President Obama is aspiring for and the emerging response to it. Such analysis would equip us to determine whether or not President Obama is heading down the Gorbachev path. Click to continue…