新未名空间

Nixon is a great politician and visionary, I read his book 《leaders》, great insights on world leaders, incl. Mao & Zhou



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src: https://www.newsweek.com/richard-nixon- ... in-1724208 | newsweek's bias rating : center


A video of former President Richard Nixon speaking about the future of Russia in 1992 has gone viral on social media.

The video, posted by the Richard Nixon Foundation on its Twitter page, shows a brief clip of Nixon speaking on March 30, 1992 about the future of Russia. The video has so far been viewed over 130,000 times.He warned that the Cold War, the period of geopolitical tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union between 1947 and 1991, was not completely over. Nixon said that it was vital that Russia prosper going forward or risk the rise of what he called a new despotism. He added that Russia's success would also influence the behavior of China.

"Russia, at the present time, is at a crossroad, It is often said that the Cold War is over and the West has won it, that is only half true. Because what has happened is that the communists have been defeated but the ideas of freedom now are on trial. If they don't work there will be a reversion to not communism–which has failed–but what I call a new despotism, which would pose a mortal danger to the rest of the world. This is because it would be infected with the virus of Russian imperialism which of course has been a characteristic of Russian foreign policy for centuries."

Nixon then highlighted the importance of freedom succeeding in Russia and the possible consequences should it fail. He paid close attention to China and highlighted the country would be looking carefully at Russia's progress.

"Therefore, the West has, the United States has, all those who want peace and freedom in the world, a great stake in freedom succeeding in Russia," Nixon continued.If it succeeds it will be an example for others to follow, it will be an example for China to follow [and] for the other communist states, the few that remain. If it fails, it means that the hardliners in China will get a new life. They will say that if it failed there there is no reason for us to turn to democracy. That is part of what is at stake here."



Newsweek has contacted the Richard Nixon Foundation for comment.

ref. https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2022/02 ... on-russia/
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In his final book Beyond Peace —published posthumously— President Nixon wrote:
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“Throughout the Cold War, we looked forward to a time when we might live in a peaceful world, with harmonious international relations, prosperous economies reaping the benefits of unlimited global trade, the expansion of freedom and human rights, and the opportunity to enjoy life. These promises of peace crystallized into an idealized version of a post-Cold War future. The fact that it has not been realized has produced a pervasive, enervating sense of anticlimax. The reality of peace is that it is only the foundation upon which a more prosperous and just world can be built. This effort will require just as much determination, vision, and patience as the defeat of communism required.”

“The United States must lead. We must lead to open the eyes of those still blinded by despotism, to emboldened those who remain oppressed, and bring out from the dungeons of tyranny those who still live in darkness. The question remains whether the United States will meet its responsibilities of leadership beyond peace as it did to defeat the communists in the Cold War. History thrusts certain powers at certain times on to center stage. In this era, the spotlight shines on the United States. How long it stays with us – – and how brightly it shines – – will be determined by us alone.

“Peace demands more, not less, from a people. Peace lacks the clarity of purpose in the cadence of war…. Our contact at home and abroad will determine how well we improvise beyond peace.”

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In a thorough twist of irony, the world has seen despotism and violence come to fore in spades these past two weeks, on what was the fiftieth anniversary of President Nixon’s historic trip to China, as the forces of tyranny turned hot; Russia invaded Ukraine and the Western world united with an aggressive response.Multipolarity —a word not uttered since the fall of the Soviet Union— has once again entered the geopolitical lexicon. And America’s role as the world’s superpower comes under examination once again from forces outside and in.