Mikhail Gorbachev, the real hero who ended the cold war, says that America is drunk with power.

America is intoxicated by its position as the world's only superpower. It wants to impose its will. But America needs to get over that. It has responsibilities as well as power. I say this as a good friend of America.

I think some people may be pushing President Bush in the wrong direction. I don't think the U.S. can impose its will on others. This talk of pre-emptive strikes, of ignoring the U.N. Security Council and international legal obligations—all this is leading toward a dark night.

I have tirelessly reminded people that Gorbachev was the real architect behind the end of the cold war. Reagan always gets most of the credit from Americans but I contend that what he did was really minimal compared to the huge gamble that Gorbachev took in changing their entire political framework and opening up their society. All Reagan did was stop treating the Russians like an enemy and allow them to evolve into a country that we could work with and stop fearing. Reagan did risk alienating some of his supporters but you just cannot compare that risk to the one the Mr. Gorbachev was subjected to.

Mikhail Gorbachev ahould be considered a hero in both Russia and America.

I would suggest that we take his words to heart.