[EastCoastAmerican]

Aside from Stalin and Lenin, there is probably no figure in the history of the Soviet Union whose policies were as far-reaching and dramatic as his. To his detractors, he is the man responsible for the deathblow to Russian Communism, a man who led his country into chaos and ruin. To his supporters, he is a hero who brought freedom and government accountability to the people of not just Russia, but many former Soviet satellite states.


Despite being responsible for the Communist Party's loss of power, Gorbachev still considers himself a Communist. He argues that the primary goals of Glasnost and Perestroika were to bring freedom of information to the Soviet people and crack down on government corruption.

What do you think of him? Is he a genuine Communist in your eyes?

I think that his policies had good intent, yet resulted in immediate change both good and ill: nations like Poland and the Czech Republic voted for independence with the introduction of elections, and the government had to acknowledge existing economic and social problems (inadequate housing, alcoholism, etc.) instead of pretending that they didn't exist. But these changes also brought about fear for the future, a loss of faith in society, the rising prominence of the Russian Mafia, and a massive power shake-up that put many soldiers and government employees out of work. By the early 90s, as many as 10% of private banks were mob-run, and even high-ranking Spetsnaz and military officers resorted to mercenary services for work. All in all, I consider his policies a mixed bag.

As to whether he's consistently Communist, I cannot say. The Soviet government was in desperate need of reform, and forcing people to be Communist was self-defeating. I think that Gorbachev realized this, and wanted the Soviet Union to be a voluntary collection of nation-states who can choose to embrace Communism of their own accord.