THE BERLIN WALL DID NOT TEAR DOWN, IT CRUMBLED BY ITS OWN ILLEGITIMATCY.

By
Joseph Chez

November 9, 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. However, it is befitting to note that while we celebrate the downfall of this shameful wall of tyranny, existing walls of oppression are being built today –with little or no opposition from western democracies. One glaring example is the concrete wall that the Israelis have built surrounding the West Bank, shamefully enclosing Palestinians and depriving them of basic living standards and freedoms. Ironically, the Nazis in WWII walled a Jewish quarter in Krakow Poland under the same pretext of security for the homeland, but, history has determined otherwise.

So what were the reasons of building the Berlin wall and why did it crumble? As History now chronicles, in post WWII, Berlin became a divided city, mainly under the control of Western powers and the Soviet East Block. In East Berlin, the Berlin Wall was erected beginning August 13, 1961 under the decree of East German leader, Walter Ulbricht, in order to keep its people protected from the West, its influences and its freedoms. The decree for closing the border for travel restrictions between East and West Berlin was intended to last until 1989.

In 1985, a new Soviet leader rose to power in then, Soviet Russia. Mikhail Gorbachev successfully rose to power because of his own political credo of bringing change to the nation’s economy as well as his wish to bring an era of openness. Hence, the Soviet Block began a period of Perestroika (open market concepts) and Glasnost (freedom of expression). Soon Poland requested a waiver from the Kremlin to open its borders with the West for the exchange of goods and services. The Soviets saw that as an opportunity to test Perestroika and allowed it. What resulted was a massive and frenzied flood of Levy jeans, Nike sneakers and Beatles music records that began to pour into the Eastern block. However, profiteering became rampant as jeans were being sold in the black marker in Russia for up to $500.00 and there was no end. Thus, Mikhail Gorbachev decided to implement Perestroika through out the East Block.

In June 12, 1987 President Ronald Reagan was visiting Europe for a summit to discuss with other European leaders the American vision of a missile defense for Europe, the so called Star Wars Missile Defense System. However, part of his trip also included a visit to Berlin to give a speech about the virtues of Western democracy. We now know of course of his famous statement he made, asking Soviet Russia’s Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down this wall.”

In November 9, 1989, the Easter German government’s decree for closing the borders had come to and end and Mikhail Gorbachev did not interfere, and instead, allowed it to happen. Perestroika at last!

Thus, we celebrate with the German people on this historic reminder of shameful acts invoked in the name of security. But we should not forget that the human spirit does not recognize any legitimacy in walls of tyranny, but will find ways to make perpetrators conform to human decency and freedom. Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever.” A true statement guaranteed by history.