Word: czechoslovakias
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With a full complement of East bloc countries on hand for the first time in eight years, a bundle of Olympic records were set. Jozef Pribilinec of Czechoslovakia won the 20-km walk in 1:19:57, breaking the old record by more than 3 min. Mop-top Khristo Markov of Bulgaria hopped, skipped and soared to a triple-jump record of 57 ft. 9 1/2 in., while American favorite Willie Banks placed sixth. East Germany's Ulf Timmermann threw the shot put 73 ft. 8 3/4 in. for an Olympic record, and Randy Barnes of the U.S. placed second...
...American women may also find the Soviets blocking their path to gold. They struggled to beat Czechoslovakia 87-81, stunned a tough Yugoslav team 101-74, then disposed of China 94-79 to reach the medal round. The tall and talented Soviets bombed Bulgaria 91-62. Thus the stage seemed to be set for two dramatic U.S.-Soviet showdowns in the final week...
...closed societies of Eastern Europe, even a modest rise in expectations can be as explosive as leaking gas fumes. Last week strikes, protests and demonstrations erupted in an arc of unrest that ranged from the Soviet Union's restless Baltic republics to Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The immediate provocation for most of the popular outbursts was worsening economic deprivation. But on a deeper level, frustrated East Europeans were prodded into action by Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev's tantalizing vision of a reformed and freer model of Communism. The protests also underscored a generational shift to younger activists, whose hopes...
...countries as diverse as Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, the new young activists are markedly different from the generation that manned the rebellious barricades in Prague in 1968 -- and even from the veterans of Solidarity's struggle in 1980. "The young today diverge very strongly from my generation," says Jacek Szymanderski, 43, a Polish historian and formerly a leading figure in Solidarity. "They are more sophisticated politically but less experienced. Their demands are more ambitious, but they are also perhaps more cynical. Most especially, they are deeply aware of human rights." In addition, they are the first generation of protesters...
...cold war really over? No doubt the withdrawal from Afghanistan marks a change. It signifies the demise of the Brezhnev Doctrine, first enunciated with the invasion of Czechoslovakia exactly 20 years ago. Brezhnev declared that socialism will suffer no losses: countries that come under Marxist- Leninism remain under Marxist-Leninism. Afghanistan is the first breach in that doctrine. (Grenada is too small to count.) Enthusiastic believers in the demise of the cold war also point to Gorbachev's words to show that the Soviet Union, apostle of revolution ("national liberation"), has become the defender of stability. A favorite quote...