Americans have a severe disease - worse than AIDS. It's called the winner's complex.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gorbachev emphasizes that America should promote democratic values rather than consumerism, highlighting a disparity in living standards.
In this quote, Mikhail Gorbachev argues that the United States has a responsibility to lead by example in promoting democracy rather than merely showcasing its consumer-driven culture. He acknowledges the unrealistic expectations placed on other countries to achieve the same level of material wealth as America, suggesting that the focus should shift from consumerism to fostering democratic principles worldwide.
Themes
DemocracyConsumerismAmericaLiving StandardsGlobalization
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a political speech to emphasize American values in foreign policy.
More from Mikhail Gorbachev
All quotes βGentlemen, comrades, do not be concerned about all you hear about Glasnost and Perestroika and democracy in the coming years. They are primarily for outward consumption. There will be no significant internal changes in the Soviet Union, other than for cosmetic purposes. Our purpose is to disarm the Americans and let them fall asleep.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
The soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
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To me, nature is sacred. Trees are my temples and forests are my cathedrals.
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New approaches are needed, new orientations in both thought and action. We must make the transition to a new civilization...We are talking of a transition toward a new civilization. No one knows what it will be like. What is important is to orient in that direction... I am convinced that a new civilization will inevitably take on certain features that are characteristic of, or inherent in, the socialist ideal.
Mikhail GorbachevRead
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 GorbachevRead
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