Opinion | Mikhail Gorbachev's Undoing Was His Devotion to Soviet Ideas

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

61% : The belief that communism was reformable was what led him to risk introducing fundamental change.
54% : "As a result of glasnost, the idea of socialism has been discredited.
52% : "Our generation was brought up under socialism and without belief in God," a 33-year-old mother of three wrote to Pravda on Jan. 18, 1988.
52% :The Soviet Union gave the outward impression of being monolithic, but its stability actually depended on three factors: the successful suppression of nationalism, the passivity of the working class, and the unity of the party.
50% : As millions changed their attitude toward communism, Gorbachev took steps to create a power base for himself independent of the party.
49% : Mikhail Gorbachev's goal, according to his associates, was "socialism with a human face."
45% : Despite the forces he had unleashed, Gorbachev remained loyal to socialism and the Soviet Union.
45% : His failure to fight for a full transition to democracy, however, left Russia to carry out the transition from state ownership to capitalism without the rule of law.

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