We certainly hoped perestroika would win out and that there would be changes. We knew all along that socialism could flourish only with a certain amount of freedom and democracy. Stefan Heym More Quotes by Stefan Heym More Quotes From Stefan Heym I disapproved of the fact that the government here refused to adopt the few reforms that Gorbachev put over in the field of media and the field of culture. Stefan Heym reform media government You must have, if socialism was to succeed, a socialism with lots of democratic elements in it. Stefan Heym socialism succeed elements I certainly hoped that in the Eastern part of Germany, what was just beginning to be called the German Democratic Republic, you would develop a system of socialism with freedom and democracy. Stefan Heym republic germany democracy People who were not active in the intellectual life of the country could go on without feeling restricted, except they could not go where they wanted. They could not cross the border to the West whenever they liked. Stefan Heym feelings country people And one of the worst effects was that by suppressing critical thought, it also suppressed critical thought in the field of economics and hampered the development of economics - and the country would fall back further and further in the economic competition with the West. Stefan Heym competition country fall
