I am taking a class studying the rise and fall of Mikhail Gorbachev. We are still at the “rise” part, but, of course, with the perspective that we know how the story ends. It’s thus even more surprising that — while he did have power — his accomplishments were so profound.
One observation that I keep coming back to over and over is how much the power playing in Russia is so much like what goes on here at home. My friend Trudy, who is a classmate, says “Human nature is the same everywhere.”
Last week’s chapter contained an episode that left me laughing. In 1988, a chemistry teacher named Nina Andreyeva, complained that the debate over the country’s Stalinist past was spreading doubt and confusion among her students leaving them upset. She vigorously demanded that the country turn away from “repentance.”
Sound familiar?
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