Democracy must learn to defend itself. Mikhail Gorbachev More Quotes by Mikhail Gorbachev More Quotes From Mikhail Gorbachev We desperately need to recognise that we are the guests, not the masters, of nature and adopt a new paradigm for development, based on the costs and benefits to all people, and bound by the limits of nature herself rather than the limits of technology and consumerism. Mikhail Gorbachev technology development people When future generations judge those who came before them on environmental issues, they may conclude "they didn't know": let us not go down in history as the generations who knew, but didn't care Mikhail Gorbachev future issues judging Communist ideology in its pure form is akin to Mikhail Gorbachev brotherhood justice ideas The time has come to choose a new direction of global development, to opt for a new civilization. Mikhail Gorbachev communication development civilization It will be difficult, even painful, but democracy will prevail in Russia. There will be no dictatorship, although relapses into authoritarianism are possible. Mikhail Gorbachev russia democracy painful The forests of Russia and Brazil are the lungs of the Earth. Mikhail Gorbachev brazil russia earth On the day I became Soviet leader, in March 1985, I had a special meeting with the leaders of the Warsaw Pact countries and told them: 'You are independent, and we are independent. You are responsible for your policies, we are responsible for ours. We will not intervene in your affairs, I promise you.' Mikhail Gorbachev independent leader country America must be the teacher of democracy, not the advertiser of the consumer society. It is unrealistic for the rest of the world to reach the American living standard. Mikhail Gorbachev democracy teacher america We must treat water as if it were the most precious thing in the world, the most valuable natural resource. Be economical with water! Don't waste it! We still have time to do something about this problem before it is too late. Mikhail Gorbachev environmental time water I certainly wouldn't say that we loved the arms race. Trillions of dollars were used to stoke it. For our economy, which was smaller in size than the American economy, it was a burden. But one cannot agree with the statement that the arms race played the key role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mikhail Gorbachev dollars keys race According to Lenin, socialism and democracy are indivisible.... The essence of perestroika lies in the fact that it unites socialism with democracy and revives the Leninist concept of socialist construction both in theory and in practice. We want more socialism and, therefore, more democracy. Mikhail Gorbachev essence practice lying The threat of environmental crisis is the 'international disaster key' to unlock the New World Order. Mikhail Gorbachev historical keys order Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind. Mikhail Gorbachev politics political jesus Dangers await only those who do not react to life. Mikhail Gorbachev danger I say again that I am an atheist. I do not believe in God. Mikhail Gorbachev believe-in-god atheist believe Sometimes when you stand face to face with someone, you cannot see his face. Mikhail Gorbachev face-to-face faces sometimes One of the reasons why this country undertook military action in Iraq was that there are quite a few problems here, and perhaps attention needed to be deflected from those problems. It sometimes seems that the U.S. economy works successfully only if it gets a stimulus from the defense industry. So perhaps in addition to showing the power and the might of the United States internationally, another reason was to help the defense industry and to help the U.S. economy recover. Mikhail Gorbachev iraq military country The social model of the Bolsheviks failed, as will any model that denies individual rights, intellectual freedom, and freedom of competing political parties. Without these freedoms and rights, there is no motivation for people to work. Such a system cannot be sustained, especially in light of the technological revolution of the information era. Mikhail Gorbachev motivation party war Without perestroika, the cold war simply would not have ended. But the world could not continue developing as it had, with the stark menace of nuclear war ever present. Mikhail Gorbachev nuclear war world In principle as a philosophy, a model of organising society, Communism has to be respected. As regards the use of certain methods to advance social justice and greater regulation by the state, there are certain methods that are useful. What we need is a new society, a new civilization and convergence of all that is best in both [Communism and Capitalism] Mikhail Gorbachev communication philosophy civilization
