A Great Man Has Died

[Robert Jones]

Boris Yeltsin just passed on. What a great man! Gorbachev gets all the credit, but it was Yeltsin who ushered in, briefly, democracy and freedom and oversaw the breakup of the former Soviet Union. He had a lot of guts when the Politburo fell and he did not relent, even though his life was in danger. I hope that when he gets past the pearly gates, he meets up with Ronnie Reagan, Alexander Dubcek and Pope John Paul II, and that they give a great homecoming to Dame Margaret Thatcher and Lech Walesa when its their turn to leave this world (not for a long time, I hope).

God bless ye, Boris! If you only loved Russia as much as you loved wodka, you'd still be among us, and be running the nation as a bastion of democracy, and that rat Putin would be on the outside, looking in.

[Chris Grieb]

Yetlsin's passing occurs at the same time as Russia sinks further back into a dictatorship. How sad!

[BaalChatzaf]

Boris Yeltsin just passed on. What a great man! Gorbachev gets all the credit, but it was Yeltsin who ushered in, briefly, democracy and freedom and oversaw the breakup of the former Soviet Union. He had a lot of guts when the Politburo fell and he did not relent, even though his life was in danger. I hope that when he gets past the pearly gates, he meets up with Ronnie Reagan, Alexander Dubcek and Pope John Paul II, and that they give a great homecoming to Dame Margaret Thatcher and Lech Walesa when its their turn to leave this world (not for a long time, I hope).

God bless ye, Boris! If you only loved Russia as much as you loved wodka, you'd still be among us, and be running the nation as a bastion of democracy, and that rat Putin would be on the outside, looking in.

This man was a Commie Thug for 9/10 of his adult life. His final act, when he became Boris the Populist is a very small redemption in the scheme of things. How much blood did he have on his hands?

I think that you forgive too readily but that is just an opinion.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Robert Jones]

Boris Yeltsin just passed on. What a great man! Gorbachev gets all the credit, but it was Yeltsin who ushered in, briefly, democracy and freedom and oversaw the breakup of the former Soviet Union. He had a lot of guts when the Politburo fell and he did not relent, even though his life was in danger. I hope that when he gets past the pearly gates, he meets up with Ronnie Reagan, Alexander Dubcek and Pope John Paul II, and that they give a great homecoming to Dame Margaret Thatcher and Lech Walesa when its their turn to leave this world (not for a long time, I hope).

God bless ye, Boris! If you only loved Russia as much as you loved wodka, you'd still be among us, and be running the nation as a bastion of democracy, and that rat Putin would be on the outside, looking in.

This man was a Commie Thug for 9/10 of his adult life. His final act, when he became Boris the Populist is a very small redemption in the scheme of things. How much blood did he have on his hands?

I think that you forgive too readily but that is just an opinion.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Bob: I may forgive too readily, but consider this: Had Yeltsin been anything other than a "commie thug," given his profession, he would instead have been Alexander Solzhenitsyn's cell mate. When history came-a-knockin' Yeltsin answered the door.

But, I always leave it to you to find a cloud in every silver lining. ;)

Please, at least for today, can't we give the man his due? I mean, he faced down Soviet Army tanks.

[Chris Grieb]

Robert; During the coup I felt very sad and lost hope. When Yeltsin stood on the tanks it was a great moment. He gave a eulogy at the funerals of some of the people killed in it that was a great speech. After the coup ended I remember my hopes were very high. I was disappointed that Yeltsin never matched that moment.

Edited April 24, 2007 by Chris Grieb

[SaulOhio]

This man was a Commie Thug for 9/10 of his adult life. His final act, when he became Boris the Populist is a very small redemption in the scheme of things. How much blood did he have on his hands?

I think that you forgive too readily but that is just an opinion.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Yeltzin reminds me of some of the characters in We the Living, someone who was raised on the communist ideology, honestly believed in it, but eventually came to see it as the lie it was. The story of his visit to an American supermarket sounds like it could have been an important turning point.

Much of his failure is explained by the ignorance of capitalism inherent in a Soviet education. He was able to recognise the value of Capitalism and the failure of Communism, but didn't understand Capitalism enough to give Russia a consistent free market system. Its a miracle he managed as well as he did.

And what Robert said is true, if he had been anything else than what he was, he could not have been in the right place at the right time to achieve what he did.

[Chris Grieb]

Saul; Why should Soviet citizens understand capitalism when most Westerns don't understand capitalism either. After Yeltsin was elected President of Russia he got very little support form the West and the US. At the time the USSR was ceasing to exist George H W Bush was giving what came to known as the "Chicken Kiev" speech in which he said that the worst thing that could would be the USSR breaking up.

Yeltsin started from a low base and learned. Some Americans have never learned.

[SaulOhio]

Saul; Why should Soviet citizens understand capitalism when most Westerns don't understand capitalism either. After Yeltsin was elected President of Russia he got very little support form the West and the US. At the time the USSR was ceasing to exist George H W Bush was giving what came to known as the "Chicken Kiev" speech in which he said that the worst thing that could would be the USSR breaking up.

Yeltsin started from a low base and learned. Some Americans have never learned.

Exactly.