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Article: Post-triumphal depression. (after the fall of the Soviet Union) (American Survey)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- August 31, 1991
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1991 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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EVER since die collapse of the Soviet coup, George Bush has been wearing the fixed smile of an animal collector who has just been given a polar bear for Christmas. The demise of Soviet communism may have been just what Mr Bush always wanted-but the result makes him twitch.
Mr Bush'sself-conscious cautious tone has clouded a moment of triumph for post-war American foreign policy. it has also reminded Bush-watchers that the president's prudence can sometimes seem like inertia. His firm rejection of the coup recalled his unwavering leadership in the run-up to the Gulf war, but his reactions to the aftermath of both the coup and the war were less decisive. just as the ...