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Article: The road from 1989: reflections on the greatest peaceful transformation in history.
- Article from:
- National Review
- Article date:
- November 23, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 National Review, Inc. 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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ON Inauguration Day 1989, NATIONAL REVIEW gave a celebratory dinner in Washington at which the guests included Jeane Kirkpatrick, Bill Safire, and the Soviet ambassador and his wife. Contrary to stereotypes, the ambassador was charming and his wife both charming and attractive. But what the ambassador said went beyond charm. He remarked, apparently in passing, that the Soviet Union had no interest in what kind of regimes existed in Eastern Europe. They were independent countries. What kind of government they had was a matter for the voters.
We had just heard what became known as the Sinatra Doctrine: They can do it their way. Safire took out his notebook and pen. ...