[Penelope_Grey]

I still don't get why America felt the need to set up weapons, blatantly, right on Russia's borders... if that is not a direct display of intention I don't know what is.

Having said that, history will remember the cuban missile crisis 2 ways.

1) as America proving the stronger of the two getting the USSR to back down first. or....

2) as the USSR proving more sensible than American leadership and backing down first to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.

Either way, imagine if Krushchev refused to back down? Would Kennedy really have pressed the button and destroyed the world? Hmm... maybe its a good job Kennedy was assasinated in the long run.

Communism is something to be afraid of I can grant that, but in reality, communism will never work, the reason being, simple human nature. We are selfish creatures, why should I give over what is mine? Its a nice thought to think that the road sweeper and the brain surgeon are equal and of equal worth to society, but as long as people are always looking out for number 1... you get nowhere, that is why communism fails.