What about Jesus Christ? I say that he was a precursor of idealists; a precursor of socialists.
On the day I became Soviet leader, in March 1985, I had a special meeting with the leaders of the Warsaw Pact countries and told them: 'You are independent, and we are independent. You are responsible for your policies, we are responsible for ours. We will not intervene in your affairs, I promise you.'
I think the environmental problem will be the number one item on the agenda of the 21st century... This is a problem that cannot be postponed.
I think God has some mechanism that he uses to punish those that make mistakes.
Certain people in the United States are driving nails into this structure of our relationship, then cutting off the heads. So the Soviets must use their teeth to pull them out.
It would be naive to think that the problems plaguing mankind today can be solved with means and methods which were applied or seemed to work in the past.
Every country should conduct its own reforms, should develop its own model, taking into account the experience of other countries, whether close neighbours or far away countries.
Sometimes people ask me why I began perestroika. Were the causes basically domestic or foreign? The domestic reasons were undoubtedly the main ones, but the danger of nuclear war was so serious that it was a no less significant factor.
A society should never become like a pond with stagnant water, without movement. That's the most important thing.
Starting reforms in the Soviet Union was only possible from above, only from above. Any attempt to go from below was suppressed, suppressed in a most resolute way.
What we need is Star Peace and not Star Wars.
Ex-Presidents of the United States get state subsidies. Not so in Russia. You get no government support.
The soviet people want full-blooded and unconditional democracy.
Democracy is the wholesome and pure air without which a socialist public organization cannot live a full-blooded life.
