Mikhail Gorbachev

This chapter on Gorbachev was originally written just after he was chosen by
Times as Man of the Decade, and awarded Nobel Prize for Peace, January 1990.

Mikhail Gorbachev (born March 2, 1931) was leader of the Soviet Union from
1985 until its demise in 1991. The first Soviet leader to be born after the
revolution, tried to

reform the Soviet Union with his policies of glasnost (openness) and perestroika
(restructuring), attempting to infuse the communist society and economy with a
market dynamism.

Gorbachev was wildly popular in the West, largely because of the way he
managed the dismantling

of the Soviet empire, allowing the Berlin Wall and Iron Curtain to fall without
Soviet military interference. His attempts at reform helped to end the Cold War,
but also ended the political supremacy of the Communist Party of the Soviet
Union (CPSU), unintentionally resulting in the dissolution of the Soviet Union on

Christmas Day, 1991.

Gorbachev developed enduring friendships with several major Western

political leaders of that era: U.S. presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W.
Bush, and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Gorbachev is considered one
of the most important world political

leaders of the second half of the twentieth century. For his efforts in ending the
Cold War, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. However, because of
the difficulties experienced by the Russian people after the Soviet collapse,
Gorbachev has since enjoyed little political popularity at home.

We have to rewrite this chapter in the wake of recent news reports of

transcendental significance - such as:
 1. Fall and demise of communism in Russia

2. The aborted coup ouster of Soviet President Gorbachev

3. The dissolution of the USSR, and

4. Resignation of Gorbachev as Soviet President.

We are only critically appreciating his ideas and his sweeping reforms that
brought about the moral transformation or conversion of Russia from godless
Communism to Christian Democracy. His political failures and his blunders do not
diminish the paramount moral value of his idea and reforms that

brought about the aforementioned conversion of Russia. Neither do we proclaim

Gorbachev as the primary cause of said conversion.

We believe that he was only an instrument of Devine Providence working

out the infallible plans and designs of the God oh history and destiny.

The stupendous, world – shaking events that followed Gorbachev’s historic

speech before the United Nations assembly on December 07, 1998 cannot be
adequately explained as outbursts or mere “accidents” of history or explainable
as occurring within the framework of the natural course of events. To think so

would run counter to the principle of sufficient reason.

These recent events better when we set against the background of the
historic events that took place in Fatima, Portugal in 1917 – long before the birth
of Gorbachev. Historic documents record that from May to October 1917 our
Lady of Fatima, The Virgin Mary appeared to three shepherd

children: Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta in Couva de Iria, Fatima about 40 miles from
Lisbon and revealed to them these messages.

“The war (first world war) is about to end. But if men do not amend their
sinful lives, a more horrible war will come.”

Russia at the time was not yet a world power, yet already mentioned as a
powerful communist country that would spread its communistic errors
throughout the world. The prophecy also foretold the fall of communism and the
conversion of Russia – apocalyptic events we are witnessing now.

In her final message, climaxed by the great Miracle of The Sun on October 13,
1917 promised by our Lady of Fatima and witnessed by 50, 000 people, our Lady
spoke:

“In the end my immaculate heart will triumph, Russia will be converted and
there will be peace.”

Imagined how a super – power like Russia with the biggest army in the
world and equipped with the greatest arsenals of nuclear power would fall, die
and be buried in its own grounds?

The resignation of Gorbachev as head of the Communist Party causing the

demise of communism is

now history unfolding before us. (The Fatima documents containing the results of
long years of scientific investigation are now in the archives of Lisbon and the
Vatican Library. This author had the chance to interview the parents of Jacinta
and Francisco and read thoroughly the documents

recording the results of the investigations thereto appertaining. )

Philosophy of Peace
Gorbachev’s philosophy of peace lays the concept of freedom. In the historic
address before the UN on December 07, 1988, he still stressed the necessity of
respecting the liberty of man and nations. The Soviet leader emphasized in
practically the principle of freedom of choice, whether of the individual or of the
nation.

In unequivocal terms he said:

“The principle of freedom of choice is a must. Refusal to recognize this principle
will hav e serious consequences to world peace. To deny a nation the
freedom of choice regardless of the pretext or the verbal guise in which it is
cloaked, is to upset the balance that has been achieved at this point. Freedom of
choice is a universal principle. It knows no exceptions.”

Right to liberty is a fundamental right of every individual and nation. It lies

at the very root and heart of the democratic ideal. It is aptly called the right of all
rights, the source from which all others rights emanate. It lies at the core of every
bill of rights, is enshrined in all constitutions of free people. It is a postulate or
imperative of Ethics and good moral conduct, to deny which would render
morality and life itself meaningless. Moreover, the principle of freedom of choice
is a cardinal and central point of Christian philosophy.

However, Gorbachev failed to give emphasis to an equally important right –

the right of a nation to the integrity of its territory, to be secure from
dismemberment or disintegrations. Just as an individual citizen have the right to
liberty and the corresponding right to the security of his person and belongings
the social consolidation of persons. Both rights are dictates of reason; they spring
from the principle of justice governing all human relations. The two
aforementioned rights are like the two poles of the rigid bar of justice; they are
inseparable, co – equal in importance, and indispensable pillars in international
relations. These two rights are enshrining side by side and clearly enunciated in
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Gorbachev’s over – emphasis on the right of people to choose their own

status, whether to be independent or to remain as member of a bigger nation,
proved to be Gorbachev’s own undoing. The 11 states under the Soviet Union
chose to be independent and seceded from the USSR.

Gorbachev could and should have avoided or pre – empted the occurrence
of such secession had he emphasized and insisted on an equally important and
inalienable right, namely the right of the Soviet Union to its own dismemberment
or disintegration. This Gorbachev failed to do. He stressed the importance of
freedom at the neglect of the integrity and the dissolution of the once super
world power, the U.S.S.R. Also Gorbachev could have stressed the point then that
will the conversion of all Russia to Christian democracy.

His resignation on December 23, 1991 evoked worldwide reaction. Most

acclaimed him as one of the greatest men of the century, but some branded his as
a “soft” leader.

Being a “soft” leader, should give the term soft the proper meaning. He is
soft in the sense that he espoused the soft side of democracy – that is freedom.
He was only embodying the paradox of democracy, particularly its spirit of liberty
which is soft, but which constitutes its very strength, the reason of its being and
beauty.

Quotations
“It is not by bread alone, not even by modern material benefits that man
lives. It is rather by truth and conscience, justice and freedom, morality and
humanism that man lives today.”

- Michail Gorbachev

Ideology of Renewal , Restructuring

“Democracy is the wholesome and pure air without which a socialist public
organization cannot live a full-blooded life.”

- Michail Gorbachev

“I am a Communist, a convinced Communist! For some that may be a

fantasy. But to me it is my main goal.”

- Michail Gorbachev

“No matter what approach we may adopt in determining ways of

developing our economy, culture, social and intellectual life, it is man with his
political and intellectual image, his skill, his patriotism and internationalism, his
ability for creative work, his civic stance and activity that will always be the
decisive

factor.”

- Michail Gorbachev

Gorbachev’s Philosophy of Peace is basically Christian – founded on the

nature of man as a rational social being. Peace is natural blessing of the natural
law embedded in man’s nature and enshrined in mans’ conscience. A man who
lives constantly in accordance with the natural moral law naturally experiences
and

enjoys peace of mind and soul. Natural law is the same for all men for all times
and places, Gorbachev envisions peace for mankind as global in scope, enduring
and perennial in point of time for the whole human race.

Gorbachev’s pleas, programs and operations for peace have catapulted and
crystallized into living reality within just 59 days (two months) what the papal
encyclicals of the Church, the teaching Tower of truth, strength and virtue,
through the centuries in the world has yet to achieve and realize.

Electronic in speed, apocalyptic in significance the breath – taking

transformation brought about by Gorbachev’s philosophy of peace is paralleled
only by the lightning conversion of Saul of Tarsus (later St. Paul) from persecutor
of Christ to participant in Christ’s life.

Mikhail Gorbachev has converted and continues

to convert to the core of consciousness and consciences of countries and

continents the world over – from godless communism to Christian democracy.

We may ask: What is the moving spirit, the philosophy behind the
stupendous transformations that have changed and continue to change the face
of the globe? It is the twin ideas born in the mind of Mikhail gorbachev translated
into full all – out effort and operation worldwide: Glasnost (openness) and
Perestroika (restructuring). These are the two nuclear ideas and their global
implications that generated, so – to – say, chain wave reaction and response that
penetrated all shores and inspired the world.

Philosophy of Glasnost

In 1988 we could see Gorbachev's introduction of glasnost, which gave new

freedoms to the people, including greater freedom of speech. This was a radical
change, as control of speech and suppression of government criticism had
previously been a central part of the Soviet system.

The press became far less controlled, and thousands of political prisoners
and many dissidents were released. At the same time, he opened himself and his
reforms up for more public criticism. He acknowledged that his liberalising
policies of glasnost and perestroika owed a great deal to Alexander Dubček's
"Socialism with a human face".

Glasnost has been identified with openness. We propose a cognate term –

truth. The relation between truth and openness is open to varying interpretations
but we find the comparison precise and meaningful. Truth is the very object of
the human intellect, as evidenced by the solution to a difficult problem, the mind
is satisfied and happy.

The foregoing is a metaphysical interpretation of truth. Let us now take up

the moral aspect of truth, (or Glasnost herein) in connection with human actions
and relations; as it is this sense that Gorbachev uses the term.

To Gorbachev glasnost means, first of all, knowing yourself truly; this

means, in turn, rending apart the senseless secrecy and hypocrisy of pretending
to be what you are not – or the opposite of what you really are. This applies to
individuals as well as nations. Thus, for decades, the Russian people, for instance,
under Stalin’s dictatorship were fed half

truths or lies, about themselves and other people. The same was true with their
Western capitalist counterparts who spread false propaganda against the
Russians, painting the latter as the worst enemies of religion and democracy.
 No doubt both sides suffered from this slavery to falsehood – lying to
themselves and other people just

to satisfy their own selfish ends, their false pride, laboring under the delusion of
superiority over each other.

In this connection, let us hearken to the wisdom enshrined in the maxim:

“To thy own self be true and thou cannot be false to any other man.”

Needless to point out here that the opposite attitude, that of being false to
oneself and others, led to that vicious fallacy of secrecy and everything that it
breeds and entails – mutual suspicion, mistrust and misunderstanding that
vitiated international relations

in the past. A diplomat, for instance, used to be known in international circles

then as an agent hired to tell and spread lies about his country.

Inevitably this leads, as it actually did, to conflicts, confrontases and wars;

and the story and history thereof was written in unquantifiable blood and deaths
in two world wars. The same error, according to

Gorbachev, unless effectively checked and correlated, will surely lead to a third –
a nuclear war – that now threatens to exterminate the greater portion of human
– kind.