Transcribed Image Text: as 7 days ago
BIU
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The way the Cold War ended .. was directly related to the way in which it had begun . the
struggle really was, ultimately, about two ways of life, one that abandoned freedom in its effort
to rationalize politics, and another that was content to leave politics as the irrational process
that it normally is, thereby preserving freedom. The idea of freedom proved more durable than
the practice of authoritarianism, and as a consequence, the Cold War ended
to remember, though, that the peaceful end to the Cold War we have just witnessed is not the
only conceivable way the Cold War could have ended. In adding up that conflict's costs, we
would do well to recognize that the time it took to conclude the struggle was not time entirely
wasted. That time-and those costs-appear to us excessive in retrospect, but future historians
may see those expenditures as long-term investments in ensuring that the Cold War ended
peacefully. For what we wound up doing with nuclear weapons was buying time-the time
necessary for the authoritarian approach to politics to defeat itself by nonmilitary means. And
the passage of time, even if purchased at an exorbitant price has at last begun to pay
dividends.
It is important
-John Lewis Gaddis, "The Cold War, the Long Peace, and the Future," 1992
Now with the Cold War behind us, can it truly be said that we passed this test?
both leaders and the public were willing to compromise American principles and ideals (not to
mention law) in the name of fighting communism. The United States emerged from the Cold
War over-armed, burdened by debt and poverty, and carrying numerous scars from
self-inflicted wounds to cherished institutions-all for the sake of the superpower competition.
In forging itself into a hard-line Cold War warrior, the U.S. ultimately undermined its "best
traditions" more than it measured up to them. Had its leaders and citizens demonstrated
greater faith in the strength of the nation's founding principles, the U.S. might have emerged
from the Cold War contest economically leaner, brighter of spirit, and with its democratic
institutions and values far stronger.
Too often
-Wade Huntley, "Who Won the Cold War?," 1993
1. Using the excerpts above, answer (a), (b), and (c).
a. Briefly describe ONE major difference between Gaddis' and Huntley's historical
interpretations.
b. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event, development, or circumstance that is
not directly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Gaddis' interpretation.
c. Briefly explain how ONE specific historical event, development, or circumstance that is
not directly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Huntley's interpretation.
Answer Here:
13
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