Liberty Beats Strategy
It's 1981. The Soviet Union is employing medium range nukes in Europe and the Star Wars Missile Defense is a distant concept. It's only been a short time since one Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Poland is elected Pope and takes the name John Paul II.
24 Years ago today (30 Mar), Ronald Reagan survived an attempt on his life, 69 days into his presidency. 44 Days later Pope John Paul II is shot 3 times with a 9MM pistol.
Of the 1981 assassination attempt on the Pope, an Italian Daily says the Soviet KGB ordered it, the East German Stasi planned it and the Bulgarians controlled it using the Turk to pull the trigger. Yuri Andropov was head of the KGB. (thats the secret police for you Women's and Gay studies majors) He went on to be Premier of the USSR after Brezhnev and before Gorbachev.
If this story is true, what about this Pope made him a unique threat to the mighty Soviet Union?
8 years later the Warsaw Pact unraveled. The first threads that unraveled were in Poland. The trade unions led by Lech Walesa and inspired by Ronald Reagan kicked over the first domino and the rest is history. Communism ended up on the trash heap of history just like Reagan said it would. Pope John Paul has been an outspoken advocate for peace and human rights. When God calls Pope John Paul II home, Reagan will welcome him with a hug and a big high five at the Pearly Gates. I'm betting that Brezhnev and Andropov will be somewhere else.
Did the Soviets know how precarious their position was? I'm betting yes. Great chess players. Those Soviets could play 5 moves ahead. But they always got their ass kicked in the long run. Because realpolitic isn't chess. It's poker. In poker every hand can be a winning hand.
25 Years Later...
The US is employing Star Wars in the Pacific and the Soviet Union is distant concept. Never back a chess player in a poker game.
Hoo-Hah!
24 Years ago today (30 Mar), Ronald Reagan survived an attempt on his life, 69 days into his presidency. 44 Days later Pope John Paul II is shot 3 times with a 9MM pistol.
Of the 1981 assassination attempt on the Pope, an Italian Daily says the Soviet KGB ordered it, the East German Stasi planned it and the Bulgarians controlled it using the Turk to pull the trigger. Yuri Andropov was head of the KGB. (thats the secret police for you Women's and Gay studies majors) He went on to be Premier of the USSR after Brezhnev and before Gorbachev.
If this story is true, what about this Pope made him a unique threat to the mighty Soviet Union?
8 years later the Warsaw Pact unraveled. The first threads that unraveled were in Poland. The trade unions led by Lech Walesa and inspired by Ronald Reagan kicked over the first domino and the rest is history. Communism ended up on the trash heap of history just like Reagan said it would. Pope John Paul has been an outspoken advocate for peace and human rights. When God calls Pope John Paul II home, Reagan will welcome him with a hug and a big high five at the Pearly Gates. I'm betting that Brezhnev and Andropov will be somewhere else.
Did the Soviets know how precarious their position was? I'm betting yes. Great chess players. Those Soviets could play 5 moves ahead. But they always got their ass kicked in the long run. Because realpolitic isn't chess. It's poker. In poker every hand can be a winning hand.
25 Years Later...
The US is employing Star Wars in the Pacific and the Soviet Union is distant concept. Never back a chess player in a poker game.
Hoo-Hah!
posted by ironcross11 | 6:41 PM
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