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KoriSchake
Whereashissuccessorsmistakenlyassumedthatthearcofhistorybends
towardfreedom,Bushunderstoodfreedomhadtobefoughtfor,worked
for,andnurtured.Perhapsthemostimportantpassagefromthe“Europe
wholeandfree”speechwasthat“weavingtogethertheslenderthreadsof
freedomintheEastwillrequiremuchfromtheWesterndemocracies.”
Whydidnititwork?DuringtheBushadministration,itdid.
Subsequently,itfaltered,predominantlyduetodecisionsmadebythe
Russiangovernment:YeltsinischoiceofVladimirPutinassuccessor,Putinis
charadeofrelinquishingpowerin2008,closingdownpoliticalopposition
andcivicspace,effortstodisruptandsubordinateneighbouringstates.
RussiaunderPutinisrulerejectednotonlytheofferofparticipatingin
securitycooperationontermsequaltootherEuropeanstatesbutthevery
conceptthatRussiabenefitsfromsecureandprosperousstatesonits
borders.AndthatconceptisfundamentaltoachievingaEuropewholeand
free.
TheSpeech
ItishardtoreadthetextofBushisspeechwithoutbeingoverwhelmedby
nostalgiaforallthatseemedpossiblein1989,foranAmericangovernment
thatunderstoodthemajestyofwhathadbeenachievedandthegravityof
thedecisionstheyweremaking.Bushisspeechaccomplishedfourcrucial
things:itaffirmedNATOiscontinuingpurpose;celebratedtheprospect
ofGermanunification;providedconcrete,practicalpolicyinitiativesto
reducetensionsandbuildcommonsecurity;and,committedtosupport
legitimateSovietsecurityinterests.
NATO.Bushstartsthespeechingratitude:“thegenerationcominginto
itsowninAmericaandWesternEuropeisheirtogiftsgreaterthanthose
bestowedtoanygenerationinhistory:peace,freedom,andprosperity.
Thisinheritanceispossiblebecause40yearsagothenationsoftheWest
joinedinthatnoble,commoncausecalledNATO.”Groundingthefuturein
appreciationoftheeffortsthatbroughttheWestitssuccesswasgraceful.
ItalsomadeclearthattheU.S.was,andintendedtoremain,aEuropean
power.
