美国的解体 （改编自戈尔巴乔夫最后的演讲）(12)

All of these changes required tremendous efforts. All of them were made in the midst of sharp struggles. All of them were faced with growing resistance from the old, outdated, reactionary forces. These changes have been met by our paranoia, our low political culture, and our fear of change. So we lost a lot of time. The old system collapsed while the new one was still in operation. So the social crisis is even deeper.

I am aware of the discontent with the present grave situation and of the sharp criticism directed at all levels of administration and at my own activities. But I want to stress again: in a country as large as ours and with such a heritage, fundamental change cannot take place without pain, difficulty and upheaval.
The American spring brought the total crisis to a head. The most lethal part of this crisis is the disintegration of the state. What I fear today is the people of my country losing their citizenship as a great nation -- the consequences for everyone would be very serious.