Summary

Ronald Reagan’s “Evil Empire” speech from 1982 begins with Reagan’s comments on the development of totalitarianism in the last decades. He argues that, unlike totalitarianism, democracy has always had peaceful intentions and has not used the threat of nuclear power to invade or control others.

Reagan then talks about the future of mankind and the threat of totalitarianism. He gives the example of Sir Winston Churchill, who was a firm believer in the power of democracy, and explains that the purpose of the Western world must be to preserve democracy. 

Then, Reagan talks about the failure of totalitarianism in the Soviet Union. He mentions economic instability, the failure of the agricultural industry, and the pressure imposed by the military industry on the Soviet people. Reaga...