Gorbachev Says U.S. Needs Its Own Perestroika

Last USSR President sees situation in US today very similar than in last days of USSR... US cant just keep on with old style - or...

MOSCOW, June 7 (RIA Novosti) - Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has said the United States needs to carry out far-reaching reforms if it is to successfully meet modern social, economic and environmental challenges.

In an article for the Washington Post, Gorbachev wrote: "In the West, the breakup of the Soviet Union was viewed as a total victory that proved that the West did not need to change. Western leaders were convinced that they were at the helm of the right system and of a well-functioning, almost perfect economic model. Scholars opined that history had ended. The 'Washington Consensus,' the dogma of free markets, deregulation and balanced budgets at any cost, was force-fed to the rest of the world.

"But then came the economic crisis of 2008 and 2009, and it became clear that the new Western model was an illusion that benefited chiefly the very rich. Statistics show that the poor and the middle class saw little or no benefit from the economic growth of the past decades.

"The current global crisis demonstrates that the leaders of major powers, particularly the United States, had missed the signals that called for a perestroika. The result is a crisis that is not just financial and economic. It is political, too.

Read the whole article,

en.rian.ru...

"When walking in the forest, its difficult se the forest from the threes..."

The biggest factor I see that contributed to the collapse of the US economy is the entitlement mentality, the misconception that you deserve to be given everything without contributing anything. When this entitlement mentality started being legislated into law nationally back in the 80's, I saw the imminent collapse on the horizon.

reply to post by Ferris.Bueller.II


I would agree. I don't think anyone begrudges someone who needs help for a short period of time.

No one minds helping students BORROW college funds.

No one minds social security going to only those aged 65 and older, who have themselves paid into the system.

But the welfare pros, enabled through decades of welfare and other entitlement benefits have created an entire population of slugs whose sole contribution to society is sucking off the tit of others money.

We're paying for non-citizens! Healthcare, food stamps, welfare, housing subsidies, and a list as long as my . . . arm.

The sooner this thing goes broke, the sooner this government falls to the chaos they've created, the sooner we can start over, and this time, stick to the Constitution.

The problem is that usa takes everything and gives nothing back to the world other than violence, which we do not want. The american system cannot make the world a balanced place to live in the 21st century, but of course the people running the show do not want everywhere to be balanced do they.

Socialism in some form will eventually win out, and thats the only way for america to see what others go through, and maybe understand that freedom is something that should have been cherished not shat on like they did. What did they do with the freedoms, just got lazy.

The world needs a change from the bull america gives the world. When will america be adults in how it dictates to the world, lol.

The problem is that most people don't want war. They want peace. People just want to live...but those in power manipulate the media with constant propaganda.

War is shown to us as entertainment. Has anyone else noticed this? It's entertaining to watch...Oh we did this today...oh so many died today...oh...oh NK is mad at us for this...

It's all BS! Cripes, I just want to live! Leave me the hell alone with the constant "This person is a threat and we should consider war crap!"

I just want to live...raise my kid to be healthy and hope I did a half decent job!

I don't want to finance neverending wars. That's what we are all doing. They tax our money to finance death and destruction....and why? Because they tell us it's the right thing to do.

That's why Iraq happened and it shouldn't of.

Originally posted by Ferris.Bueller.II
The biggest factor I see that contributed to the collapse of the US economy is the entitlement mentality, the misconception that you deserve to be given everything without contributing anything. When this entitlement mentality started being legislated into law nationally back in the 80's, I saw the imminent collapse on the horizon.

I agree whole-heartedly. The fat cats who run wall street and the government reap the profits of everyone else's hard work. Crony-capitalism, casino economics, and political theater are just ways for the big boys to turn big profits.

I'm not religious, but I really hope there's a hell so the super-rich can see what it's like to live in poverty.