The Soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
Meaning
In 1988, as reforms were testing the limits of one-party rule, Gorbachev said citizens wanted democracy in full, not a diluted version. Freedom is not real if it comes with hidden conditions. Apply it locally by showing up to vote or attending a community meeting, where a real voice in decisions is exercised.
Source: Speech (July 1988)
About the author
Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022) was the last leader of the Soviet Union, serving as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1985 to 1991. His reforms of glasnost and perestroika helped end the Cold War, and he received the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize.
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