TheUpheavalof Communism

By Douglas R.Dempsey

into Moscow as well as several Balticcapitals. Broadcaststations and government buildings were seized.

On Tuesday afternoonthe coup began tounravel Several leadersquit or"became ill." The endoftheoverthrowwasathand.

On Wednesday morning Yeltsin prepared to visit Gorbachev A 3-mile-long line of tanks beganto leave forMoscow

The Soviet parliament nullified allcoup decrees and demanded thereturnof Gorbachev.

On Thursday Gorbachev andhisfamilyreturnedhome The coup was over,and order was momentarilyreturnedtothestate.

Althoughitfailed,thecoup emphasized the ailing state of communism On one side, Gorbachev and Yeltsin pushed forreformsthatwouldultimately bringabouttheruinationofcommunism. On theother side, theleadersof thecoup and otherhard-linecommunists, who detestedGorbachev'sdirection, sought to take the union

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall and stayed their for nearly 75 years

Now, hopefully, Humpty Dumpty hasfallen, hismighty wall has been toppled, and communism is dead. It's hard to believe, butit's true.

After74years of terror, death, and aggression, the mighty communist war machinehasfallen into disarray No longer will Eastern Europe be dominated by the monolithic government that onceheld somany in its powerfuliron fist.

What remains oftheonce awesome union ofcommunist nations hasnow disintegrated.Therepublics have declared their independence Gorbachev hasresigned Red is dead, and thecoldwar is over.

Communism toppled virtually overnight. Party offices were closed, theleadership disbanded. The most dramatic example ofthis collapse was theAugust coup attemptthat ousted Gorbachev for three days

Theeventsofthecoupwillprobablyneverbefullyrevealed What we know hasbeengatheredfromlimitedsources, but a sketchof the eventsgivesahint of how communism died.

As themighty Russian empire layinruins, several problems arose. The most pressing ofthese, from a western standpoint, is who will control the Soviet Union's vastarsenal ofnuclear warheads. Approximately 27,000warheads arescattered throughoutthe region, many outsidethe direct control of Moscow. Western leaders, asof yet, do notforesee problems Even the warheadsthat couldfall underthe control of anewly-independentstateareunlikelytobeused.The same safeguards that prevented theiruse before the communistbreakupare still in place Mutual destruction, while not openly discussed anymore,isstill a factor ensuring stability.

A second problem, onethat is internal, is the skepti cism of many Russians towards the supposed "new order." In spite of the sweeping changesin the Sovie Union, theattempted coup, thenuclear disarmament treaty and ahost of other radical movements, little ha changed for most Russians.

As therest oftheworld lookson withanticipation, the Russianpeopleare skeptical

"Politicians always make promises about how life will be better, but they never fulfillthem," Nikolai Petrovich,aretiredfactoryworkerandmilitaryveteran said. "I've been around a long time,and I've seen things changeinMoscow again and again,butnothing everchangesfor us."

On Sunday,August18,rebelsoldiersarrivedatGorbachev's door. They demanded hiscooperation, but he refused.Finallytheyoverpowered him and tookhim away

On Monday morning tanks beganrumbling into Moscow. A stateofemergency was declared. Protestersofthecoup began gathering outside theRussian parliamentbuilding, a foreshadowing ofthemassiveprotests yetto come.

On Monday afternoon Boris Yeltsin entered the picture Yeltsinclimbed on topof a tankand declared that thecoup was illegal. He called for massivestrikes and civil disobedienceinan effort to topplethe coup.

On Monday eveninganannouncementwasmadeclaiming Gorbachev was "ill," an ominous statement thathad many fearing forthe leader's life. Meanwhile,more tanksrolled

"For peasants and workers, it just gets worse," Petrovichcontinued."Why should it be anydifferent now?"

Yes, the Berlin Wall has fallen. TheSoviet Unionha fragmented Communist leaders are resigning,and Sovietleaderspromise even more reforms. When the smoke finally clears, will there beanythingdifferent?

After74 years, it is hard to imagineaworld withou the evil empire. Hopefully, the events of the past yea willsignify a positive change Humpty Dumpty, it seems, is finished e jj Rhode Island shutdown 45credit unionsand banks Governor BruceSundlan orderedtheir closingsafter their privateinsurer becameinsolvent.

4 Congressional leaders announced that a debate would beheld on U.S policyin the PersianGulf beforethe January 15U.N. deadlinefor theIraqi withdrawal fromKuwait

6 Kimberly Ann celebrated her 21st birthday.

22 U.S. Congress voted Bush the authority to use "all means necessary"to driveIraqfromKuwait

16 An international force led by the U.S. launched air and missileattacks on Iraqand Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. The attack was launched less than17 hoursafter theexpirationof aU.N Security Councildeadlinefor Iraqto withdraw from Kuwait

17 IR two broadcast messages, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein sounded adefianttoneand calledfor thewhole nationtojoin in thefight against"theinvaders." Iraqresponded toattacks by firing oneScud missileatSaudiArabia and eight Scudsinto Israel.

Bush Controls Gulf War

Every presidenthasaparticularimagehe wants to portrayduringwartime. GeorgeBush chose to show self-control in every situation.

Bush had to make allthe majorcalls oftheGulf War. He had to laydown the rules, butascalmly as hepossiblecould in responsetothesituation.

After suffering a kidney failure, Boston Jack met his untimely deathand was accidentally cremated.

lg Three cases of AIDS were linked to Dentist David J. Acer. Acerlackedin several sanitary procedures Kimberly Bergaliswas awarded $1 million for beinginfectedwithAIDS byAcer.

Despitehis emotionalnature, Bush strove to control his emotions He appeared unruffledin timesof stress. He did notrespond openly to grief, for this would discouragemany Americans who would bewatching him on the news.Instead, hetriedtobeastrongleader in times of stress.

27 The Giants defeated the Bills in Superbowl XXV, 20-19, in theclosest Superbowl ever played.

Marcos CollectsMore Than Shoes

Shoes weren't the only thing Imelda Marcos collected An estimated $7millionto $14 millionworth of"ill-gotten wealth"was waitingtobegot at Christie's in New YorkCity, where it wasauctioned. The proceedswill helpfund the Philippine government's agrarian-reform program With a$28 billion debt, thegovernment could usethe money. Although Mrs. Marcostended tobidprimarily on what was "most expensive,"the folks at Christie's say shewasn'tabad collector It seems the Marcos yearsreallywere filled with roses

Inprivate, Bush spokeof the horrors hesawin World War II. Yetwhen it came timetoaddress thenation, Bush cutoutany mention ofhis own combatexperience

"GeorgeBushbelieved it was importantthat he beasstrongand assteady ashecouldbe," said a senior White House official "Hisemotions were notrelevant Infact, it was importanttohim that theynotshow."

Bush oftenturnsto ministersfor support.The Rev. Billy Graham spentthe nightatthe White House on theevening thewar began, comforting thepresidentduring his hour of crisis.

Bush was no pushover during the GulfWar. Through it all, heremained confidentthat the U.S. would succeed. Thiswas abigcomfortto the Americanpeople.

February

1 An earthquake, registering 6.8 on theRichter scale, killed 1,200 intheHindu Kush Mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Thirty-four people were killed and another two dozen injured when a USAir jet collided with a smaller commuter plane while landing atLos Angeles Airport.

4 The Board of Directors of baseball's Hall of Fame voted 12-0tobar any player ineligibleto participate inMajor League Baseball from induction. This directly affected PeteRose, who was banned in 1989 forhisgamblingactivities

£ President Bush signed into law a bill that would compensate Vietnam veteransby providing permanent disabilitybenefitstothosewho had been exposed totheherbicideAgent Orange.

-I o Iraq claimed that several hundred Iraqi civilians died when U.S bombs destroyed a Baghdad building where people were sheltered. U.S. officialssaid thebuilding was being used for military communications.

21 The U.S. military accused Iraq of setting fire to some 150 Kuwaiti oil wells.

23 President Bush announced at 10 p.m. that the ground war had begun.

97 President Bush announced at 9 p.m., exactly 100 ~~ hours aftertheground war began,that allied forceshad liberated Kuwait and would suspend further military combat operations.

President Bush sent Congress a $1.45 trillion budget forfiscal 1992.

Dan Quayle

The youthful looking vicepresidentwascriticized asaliability tothepresidency, but Quayle overcame thecriticism and worked wellwith PresidentBush.Quayle and hiswife Marilyn have threechildren—Tucker,17; Ben, 14; and Corinne, 12

KuwaitOilWell Fires

Firefighterswere unprepared forthesight they met inKuwait - scoresofoil wellssending plumes ofred and orange flames 30 yards intothe air. Oillakesand sootblackened the sand

During theseven-month Iraqioccupation of Kuwait, more than 730 oil wellswere damaged or setablaze. Firefighting crews began the difficultand dangerous recapping work in March 1991.

When theefforttocombat theblazesbegan, it took an average offourdays toput outone well fire The teams averaged 8.5wellseach day, and all thewellswere capped before theend ofthe year.

The fasterrateofprogresswas attributed to theincrease inthenumber offirefighting companies, theavailability ofneeded equipment, the completion ofthewater system and the growing experience ofthe firefighters.

Teams from theUnited States, Canada, China, Iran, Kuwait, Hungary and France all worked together tocleanup thisenvironmental disaster

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All25passengersand crew members onboard a United AirlinesBoeing 737-200jetwerekilled when theplanemysteriously crashed while approaching ColoradoSpringsAirport.

Romanian officials announced that most restrictionson foreignexchange were abolished.

1Q IraqiPOWs were released.

14 Four Los Angeles police officers were arrested fortheviciousbeatingofablackman, and the countryplunged intoadebateon therise of complaintsagainstcops.

15 Yugoslav President Serbie Bellicose quit, resultinginpoliticalchaos.

Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Palmer's attempted pitchingcomeback ended inatornhamstring.

1£ Soviet athlete Sergei Bubka became the first ever topolevault20 feet.

Seven members of the band that accompanied country-western singerReba McEntire were killedinaplanecrash.

20 The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that employers could notbarwomen fromjobswhere they might beexposed tomaterialshazardousto developing fetuses.

20 David Baltimore,Nobel-Prize-winning molecular biologist,retractedcontroversialpaperbecauseof fraudulentevidence.

22 P°n tax *n Britain was eliminated.

28 Criminal case against Exxon Corp. arising from the1989Exxon-Valdez oil spillinAlaska,was settled. Exxon pleaded guiltytofourmisdemeanor violationsofenvironmental statutesand agreed topay a$100millionfine. Company payments stemming from thespillcouldtotal $1.1 billion.

Turmoil arose between Soviet political leaders MikhailGorbachev and BorisYeltsin.

The Recession

The longestrecessionsincethe1930scontinued tocrippletheAmerican peoplethroughout1991. Federaldeficitsmore thantripledthenationaldebt since1980, followedby astockmarketcrashin 1987. Following theIraqiinvasionofKuwaitin July1990, oil pricessky-rocketed,which pushedthe U.S. intoaslump.

When therecessionhit hard in1991, many peoplefound themselvesunemployed.The unemployment rateroseto6.8percentin1991, leaving many familiesinhardtimes.

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