On November 9, 2009, the world will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Naturally, in Germany, there will be commemorations of the event, and the collapse of Communism in Europe. For those who lived through the Cold War, and saw the fall of the Wall, it was an extraordinary event; I for one will never forget the images of East Germans climbing over the wall, chiseling and hammering at it to break off pieces large and small, and reuniting with family members they had not seen in decades. I will never forget the helpless look on the faces of East German guards, who gradually realizedâ??in their dimwitted, knuckle-dragging wayâ??that their days of tyrannizing their populace were coming to an end. I will never forget then-former President Ronald Reagan being interviewed by his old sparring partner, Sam Donaldson, on ABCâ??s Prime Time Live, reveling in the moment he and his policies helped bring about, and reminding people that while it was all right to be amazed at seeing the fall of the Wall and the re-emergence of liberty in Eastern Europe, it was certainly not all right to be surprised by such a sight. After all, Reagan asked, why should anyone be surprised that a downtrodden people would rise up and fight for their freedoms?
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