Maikel van Leeuwen

“The processes that ended the Cold War were manifold and complex, just like its origins had been. The end of the global conflict created enormous opportunities for good, as witnessed in southern Africa or southeast Asia. But not all issues were resolved, and some regional legacies lingered, such as in Korea, in the Middle East, or in the Balkans. Sometimes the outcome was contradictory. The economic hardships imposed on many Latin Americans often outweighed the celebrations over the return to more democratic and responsive forms of government. And some of the ideologies that overtook the Cold War dichotomy, religious fanaticism or nationalist self-obsession first among them, were as dangerous for the people caught up in them as the ideological struggles between capitalism and socialism had been. Still, the end of the Cold War opened up new possibilities for people everywhere. In some cases they made use of them to make a better world.”
― Odd Arne Westad, The Cold War: A World History

“Stalin asked Kardelj questions about the origins of the Albanians, commenting, 'They seem to be a rather backward and primitive people', to which the Yugoslav ambassador replied, 'But they are very brave and faithful' — a statement that somewhat reinforced Stalin's opinion of the Albanians, as he continued, 'Yes, they can be as faithful as a dog, that is one of the traits of the primitive.”
― Miranda Vickers, The Albanians: A Modern History

“Very few western Europeans or southeast Asians would have preferred to live in the type of Communist states that were created in eastern parts of their continental neighborhoods. And although the legacy of US interventions in Asia is usually roundly condemned, a majority of Europeans were and are convinced that the US military presence within their own borders helped keep the peace and develop democracies.

The very fact that the Cold War confrontation between the Superpowers ended peacefully was of course of supreme importance: With enough nuclear weapons in existence to destroy the world several times over, we all depended on moderation and wisdom to avoid an atomic Armageddon.”
― Odd Arne Westad, The Cold War: A World History

“Luister naar de geluidloosheid,’ zei Margarita tegen de meester en het zand knisterde onder haar blote voeten. ‘Luister en geniet van iets wat ze je tijdens je leven nooit gunden – stilte. Kijk, daar voor je ligt je eeuwige huis, dat je als beloning hebt gekregen. Ik zie het Venetiaanse venster al en de wijnstok die tot aan het dak omhoogrankt. Daar is je huis, je huis voor eeuwig. Ik weet dat ’s avonds diegenen bij je zullen komen die jij bemint, in wie jij geïnteresseerd bent en die je niet lastigvallen. Ze zullen voor je spelen, voor je zingen en je zult zien wat voor licht er in de kamer zal zijn, als de kaarsen branden. Je zult inslapen met je onafscheidelijke, morsige mutsje op het hoofd en een glimlach op je lippen. De slaap zal je verkwikken en je zult woorden van wijsheid spreken. Maar je zult me nu niet meer kunnen verjagen. Ik zal je slaap behoeden.”
― Mikhail Bulgakov, De meester en Margarita / Romans en verhalen