On December 25, 1991, the red flag with a hammer and sickle flying over the Kremlin was lowered, never to be raised there again. Numerous Soviet states had already announced they were leaving the Union. Intolerance of any political dissent, the centralized economy, and constant conflict with the rest of the world had finally worn down the totalitarian regime. After the population under the control of the Communist Party had endured decades of theft, starvation, censorship, and terror, the people the Soviet Union needed to support it reached a point where they were no longer afraid of being whisked away to the gulags in the middle of the night or executed outside their homes for daring to speak out. When the people’s fear of the consequences of compliance outweighed their fear of the consequences of non-compliance, the communist chains placed upon their minds were broken, and countless souls began to break free.
Reforms introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev years earlier allowed the wheels of change to finally be set in motion towards a brighter path. The secret police were disbanded, elections began, and criticism of the regime was finally allowed. With no international support to draw upon after waging a war against the world for so long, the reforms were a death knell for the communist regime as it reeled with the daily issues of governing it had long ignored. As George Washington once said: “Liberty, when it begins to take root, is a plant of rapid growth.” And as Mikhail Gorbachev said of the reforms he introduced: “The old system collapsed before the new system had a chance to start working.”
The Cry of Freedom May Not Be Held Forever
A coup had been attempted to remove Gorbachev months earlier in August. Years before that in 1989, the Berlin Wall had come down already. Conflict broke out between the Red Army of Moscow and the peoples of Lithuania and Latvia. With many Soviet states in open revolt or simply refusing to continue to work with the central government, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Word spread of the machinations of the secret police and the gulags as free press cropped up and began to speak out openly. The United States, under the executive control of the W. Bush administration, opted to roll back many active measures and react to what was happening instead. Elections in the Soviet Union led to a split of political support with disparate interests clashing internally.
The Red Army was pulled out of Germany and the Eastern and Western halves of the country reunified. Germany even resolved to join NATO, a move which would have been physically impossible and most likely suicidal years earlier. To many, peace seemed to be settling over the world as the threat of mutually-assured destruction with nuclear weapons which gripped the hearts of people across the globe began to dissipate for many. Conflicts across the globe, big and small, carried on. Yet, for many, it seemed this was a time of peace. All the more fitting it was the Soviet flag over the Kremlin was lowered for the last time on Christmas Day, a day of peace on Earth.
A Battle Won in a War Yet Waging
Many heralded December 25, 1991 as the end of the notorious Cold War. Of course, this was not the case, as the center of communist power simply shifted from Moscow to Beijing, as the Chinese Communist Party still retained control of mainland China and carried on with its war against the world as if little had changed. In truth, from the perspective of the communists, the Cold War never ended, and the collapse of the Soviet Union was both a setback and a boon for the rising darkness in Beijing. The Chinese communists and the Soviet Union had worked together at times, such as when they both committed to supporting the communist front in the Korean peninsula. At others times, they fought, experiencing border clashes with casualties which threatened to bring the USSR and the PRC to all out war. They shared the goal of conquering the free world and banishing liberty from the Earth, yet both wished to be one on top.
Now, as darkness rises once more, the free peoples of Earth are waking up to how the Cold War never ended since the communists were never fully defeated. The communists in Beijing grew their forces in a continuance of the Arms Race. The Cold War carried on with the Third Taiwan Crisis of 1996, the Scarborough Shoal Standoff of 2012, the Fall of Hong Kong in 2019, and many other other geopolitical disasters for the valiant peoples of Earth fighting against communism. Many sacrifices have been made and the stakes continue to be raised back to where they were before Gorbachev took over the Soviet Union those many years ago. A new era dawns for the free peoples of Earth in their longstanding fight against the dark forces of communism.
All Ends Are Beginnings
Despite the principle actors of the Cold War remaining and continuing on with no end yet reached, the end of the Soviet Union ushered in a moment of peace in human history which blessed the Earth for over 30 years. It also symbolized a major defeat for tyranny on Earth and a significant hurdle in the long war for freedom and peace. That peace, however temporary, should always be cherished. All good things come to an end, and war always returns when the people become accustomed to peace. Nevertheless, the three ensuing decades following the collapse of the Soviet Union were a boon for the free peoples of Earth which cannot be underappreciated.
The spirit of Christmas is one of peace on Earth. In the United States, the Christmas holiday is a day to remind us of the belief in how God sacrificed his son to free the peoples of Earth from themselves. Licentiousness had displaced liberty once more as people had become slaves to their baser emotions and desires, and Jesus Christ was born to grow up and teach humans once again the path to true freedom. As those who speak the truth and advocate for freedom are always persecuted by those who seek to defend their vices, it was known that Jesus was born only to be persecuted and to die. Yet that sacrifice would inculcate the virtues of peace and love across the Earth.
Perhaps there is something indescribable which is responsible for so many miracles occurring around Christmas time. Perhaps what we perceive as miracles are merely coincidences. It is difficult to know for sure. Yet there is one thing I do know. December 25, 1991 is a day to be remembered, for it is a day when great peace was washed over the Earth and gave the free peoples a breath of fresh air. It was a moment of respite in which Humanity was able to catch its breath and prepare for the coming challenges of the next century.
This Christmas, I wish a happy and peaceful day to all the free peoples of Earth who fight against tyranny, communism, and any other dark forces which assail themselves against Humanity. May you all spend this day with love and cheer, surrounded by joy, friendship, and family. Merry Christmas to all, and to all, stay strong.
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The Pensive Warrior 