Changes

=====Press censorship and control=====

=====Press censorship and control=====

On September 21, 2010 an internal email entitled “Obama Leak Investigations” at the “global intelligence” company Stratfor claimed Obama's White House adviser [[John Brennan]] was targeting [[journalist]]s.

On September 21, 2010, an internal email entitled “Obama Leak Investigations” at the “global intelligence” company Stratfor claimed Obama's White House adviser [[John Brennan]] was targeting [[journalist]]s.

{{Quotebox|"Brennan is behind the [[witch hunt]]s of investigative journalists learning information from inside the beltway sources,” writes one Stratfor official to another. The email continues: “Note —There is specific tasker from the [White House] to go after anyone printing materials negative to the Obama agenda (oh my.) Even the FBI is shocked. The Wonder Boys must be in meltdown mode…”}}

{{Quotebox|"Brennan is behind the [[witch hunt]]s of investigative journalists learning information from inside the beltway sources,” writes one Stratfor official to another. The email continues: “Note —There is specific tasker from the [White House] to go after anyone printing materials negative to the Obama agenda (oh my.) Even the FBI is shocked. The Wonder Boys must be in meltdown mode…”}}

===Collapse of Soviet communism===

===Collapse of Soviet communism===

[[File:Timecommiecover.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Time magazine]] from 1989]]

[[File:Timecommiecover.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Time magazine]] from 1989]]

The shooting down by the Soviets on September 1, 1983 of [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] may have been a contributing factor for the downfall of the Soviet Union as well as for the whole Soviet block.  It being a catalyst for the collapse of the Soviet Union may be inferred from the fact that NATO had decided, under the impetus of the U.S. administration, to deploy Pershing II and cruise missiles in Europe, primarily West Germany.  This deployment would have placed missiles just 6–10 minutes striking distance from Moscow.  But support for the deployment was wavering and many doubted that the missile deployment would find enough support to effect it.  When the Soviet Union shot down Flight 007 with 269 people aboard, including conservative Democratic Congressman [[Larry McDonald]] —an act which U.S. President Ronald Reagan characterized as a "massacre"—enough support was galvanized for the deployment.  The deployment caused great resources of the Soviet Union to be diverted from inner economic use to military expenditures to counter the U.S. and NATO missile deployment.  

The shooting down by the Soviets on September 1, 1983, of [[Korean Airlines Flight 007]] may have been a contributing factor for the downfall of the Soviet Union as well as for the whole Soviet block.  It being a catalyst for the collapse of the Soviet Union may be inferred from the fact that NATO had decided, under the impetus of the U.S. administration, to deploy Pershing II and cruise missiles in Europe, primarily West Germany.  This deployment would have placed missiles just 6–10 minutes striking distance from Moscow.  But support for the deployment was wavering and many doubted that the missile deployment would find enough support to effect it.  When the Soviet Union shot down Flight 007 with 269 people aboard, including conservative Democratic Congressman [[Larry McDonald]] —an act which U.S. President Ronald Reagan characterized as a "massacre"—enough support was galvanized for the deployment.  The deployment caused great resources of the Soviet Union to be diverted from inner economic use to military expenditures to counter the U.S. and NATO missile deployment.  

Between 1989 and 1991, many Communist governments fell.  The [[Berlin Wall]] in [[Germany]], which had become a symbol for the division between the Communist states and the rest of Europe, was torn down largely in response to Ronald Reagan in 1989, and there was also a large revolution against Romanian dictator [[Nicolaie Ceausescu]] which led to Ceausescu's arrest on December 22 that year and his subsequent execution on December 25 following a quick trial.  In 1991, the USSR broke up into several countries - each of which reformed to capitalism.  Some of these remained under autocratic governments, but some have embraced democracy.  With the collapse the remnants of Communist parties have dropped their old names and ideologies, but still operate on the left of the political spectrum.

Between 1989 and 1991, many Communist governments fell.  The [[Berlin Wall]] in [[Germany]], which had become a symbol for the division between the Communist states and the rest of Europe, was torn down largely in response to Ronald Reagan in 1989, and there was also a large revolution against Romanian dictator [[Nicolaie Ceausescu]] which led to Ceausescu's arrest on December 22 that year and his subsequent execution on December 25 following a quick trial.  In 1991, the USSR broke up into several countries - each of which reformed to capitalism.  Some of these remained under autocratic governments, but some have embraced democracy.  With the collapse the remnants of Communist parties have dropped their old names and ideologies, but still operate on the left of the political spectrum.