The fall of the Berlin Wall had many fathers.

1. The resolve of the USA and NATO to keep the Soviet Union in Check for 40 years.

2. Recognition by leaders in the Soviet Block, foremost Gorbachev, that their system of government and economics could no longer be maintained. I am certain none of them wanted the Soviet Block and the Soviet Union to disintegrate, but efforts at reform caused the house of cards to collapse.

3. Pope John Paul II who gave the Polish Catholic Church the strength to withstand Communist rule.

4. The decision by the Hungarian government in August(?) 1989 to open the border to Austria. This started the flood gates and set ion motion the hemorrhage of East Germans to the West.

5. The courage of East Germans, supported by elements of the Protestant Church (but not the church hierarchy) to take to the streets in 1989. Again, their aim was a better GDR, not reunification. At the same token, some credit must be given to those in power in the GDR who more or less gracefully accept the inevitable. As a result, this was one of the few bloodless revolutions in the history of mankind. One man lost his life when he fell off the Brandenburg Gate. The Germans ought to be proud of that achievement.

So much for the fall of the Berlin Wall. But of course that is not the end of the story. The reunification of Europe was not at all certain from the outset. Without it, we would be living in a very unstable world right now.

1. The reunification of Germany.

-Initially, the call was "We are the people." Pretty soon it became "We are one People." And finally "Either the DM comes to us or we will go to the DM" - meaning the East Germans wanted the West German currency.

-Most West Germans had long ago given up on reunification, even if they didn't admit it. One major political party was especially skeptical. Three men made it possible: Chancellor Kohl, Gorbachev, and President Bush. Without immediate American backing, there would have been no reunification. The UK, foremost Ms. Thatcher and France did everything in their power to prevent it. There was only a small window of opportunity for reunification. In 1991, after the fall of Gorbachev, it would probably have been too late.

-Reunited Germany remained in NATO. This was not at all what Russia wanted but Gorbachev agreed to it. A neutral Germany would have been a nightmare for all concerned.

2. The disintegration of the Soviet Block. Again, The Soviet Union accepted it without a struggle and here too the credit goes to Gorbachev.

3. The disintegration of the Soviet Union. What a blow to a proud nation. After all, the Soviet Union was the successor to Imperial Russia. All republics that gained independence after 1989 had been part of Imperial Russia, even the three Baltic states. These were independent only between 1919 and 1939. The West would do well to avoid rubbing salt in the wound and we could indeed have done much better. It is great that all former satellites and the Baltics are now part of NATO and the EU but this it where it should stop. No need to antagonize Russia over the Ukraine and Georgia. Let Russia have its sphere of influence and work on drawing them closer to Europe. Eventually, Russia may even become a true Democracy the way we understand it.

The task now is to prevent another confrontation with Russia. President Obama is the right man to lead that effort.

You did it again! This column should be mandatory reading for all who are working very hard to destroy President Obama. Regrettably, the mind of most of them is so closed that they don't even read the NYT, much less your columns. Afraid of contamination, perhaps? I have friends, otherwise rational people, who get all their news from FOX and Rush and refuse to even look at a NYT much less read it.

But we best ignore them. And it is incumbent on rational people like you to spread the word to at least reach those who have not yet completely lost their mind.

I get Newsmax on the Internet, just to see what they have to say and hope very much that my hits don't make them stronger. I have tried many times to comment on their outrageous articles but they claim that I am using a wrong password. I am supposed to get a new one sent to my E-mail address but it never arrives.

Probably part of their technique to avoid criticism.

The American electorate (other than the true believers) may be too sophisticated to fall for their diatribe but some lunatic may well be encouraged to do something dramatic to President Obama. If that happens, Newsmax, FOX and others are just as guilty as the trigger man.

The lunatics Right reaction could have been predicted. And they call themselves "Patriots". These people will cut off their nose to spite their face. Yes, Obama may have been ill advised to throw in his weight in a lost cause. The USA has hosted the Olympics eight times, counting the winter games and the Atlanta games were criticized for being much too commercial. That still doesn't sit too well with many people. But he made a valiant effort and ought to be applauded. Would they have reacted the same way to President Bush? Of course not. But when it comes to Obama, the Right will cheer any American defeat. Pretty disgusting.