The ancient Greeks had a lot of cool words—agora, gaia, makros—and one of the best is "kairos." Kairos refers to the opportune moment: basically, the stars have aligned and if action is going to be taken, the window for it is now open.

To quote one of the greatest rock bands of all time: "Now's the time; the time is now!"

Reagan is all over the kairos motif like a bad rash. Now is the time, he tells his audience, for Germany—and Berlin—to reunify. Circumstances have never been better:

Where four decades ago there was rubble, today in West Berlin there is the greatest industrial output of any city in Germany… Where a city's culture seemed to have been destroyed, today there are two great universities, orchestra and an opera, countless theaters, and museums. Where there was want, today there's abundance… (39-41)

Even the Soviets "may, in a limited way, be coming to understand the importance of freedom" (52): they're freeing political prisoners; they're opening up their media. All over the world, countries are going democratic. Even North Korea is getting in the spirit, allowing some Olympic events to be held in South Korea.

Change is in the air. Reagan appeals to Gorbachev and the Soviet Union to seize the moment while the moment is still piping hot.