Boris Yeltsin dead

cadalano · Post by **cadalano** » April 23, 2007, 12:11 pm

age 76 - allegedly heart failure

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL236 ... ltsin_dies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boris_yeltsin

masteen · Post by **masteen** » April 23, 2007, 1:07 pm

I wonder what his blood alcohol level was...

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » April 23, 2007, 1:12 pm

masteen wrote:I wonder what his blood alcohol level was...

I wonder how much Strontium 90 was evident...

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 23, 2007, 1:15 pm

Anyone heard from Sueven? Is he OK? A comrade has died!

Post by **Sylvus** » April 23, 2007, 1:21 pm

I had actually typed out a response to this and was almost about to hit submit when I realized that I was totally confusing Yeltsin with Gorbachev.

I realize Yeltsin came after Gorbachev, but I can't for the life of me remember if he had a net positive or negative impact. Thoughts?

masteen · Post by **masteen** » April 23, 2007, 1:32 pm

He was a fat drunk, and everything that a Russian leader should aspire to!

Wulfran · Post by **Wulfran** » April 23, 2007, 1:47 pm

Gorbachev started the whole "thawing" process by working within the Communist party, but Yeltsin was the man who put the heat on full blast. I still wonder if Gorbachev's plan wasn't the better one, doing the slow evolution to a free Russia and Eastern Europe, rather than what was really a 2nd revolution, led by Yeltsin. Yeltsin forcing the issue led to a lot of economic and social turmoil that Gorbachev hoped to avoid by slowing the process.

Maybe I'm a little snowed by the charisma and image sculpted by both of these men, but I think both made important contributions to ending the Cold War and converting the USSR back into Russia.

Winnow · Post by **Winnow** » April 23, 2007, 1:53 pm

I agree with Wulfran. The quick change made for some great Eastern Block porn comprised of good looking women with bad teeth but other than that, most of the other corruption has been bad.

cadalano · Post by **cadalano** » April 23, 2007, 2:39 pm

I realize Yeltsin came after Gorbachev, but I can't for the life of me remember if he had a net positive or negative impact. Thoughts?

His reforms were largely botched and he basically shat all over the system in order to get them implemented (narrowly dodged impeachment). The economy nosedived under his programs and corruption was rampant in every vein of russian economy and government. The Chechen invasion was seen as a failure. His personal behavior in office was terrible

All of that is obviously negative, but he came into an environment that was shattered socially and politically and already well on its way to economic collapse. One can only imagine what paths the region would have taken under different leadership... but the darkest would have almost certainly been a successful coup by the right-wing CPSU, which he played a large role in preventing. He should get some credit for that.

I believe he had genuinely good intentions when he came to power but his naive ideas were impossible to implement with the nation in such turmoil. As such, he turned to damnable methods to attempt to see his programs through by any means neccesary. He should have been impeached.. he should not have seen a second term... but the aforementioned corruption scratched his back

masteen · Post by **masteen** » April 24, 2007, 3:10 am

The most fitting tribute I've seen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA-lal2M ... y%2Ecom%2F

Deward · Post by **Deward** » April 24, 2007, 12:23 pm

I personally think Yeltsin was responsible for turning the former USSR into a third world country. Their economy was crap before that but at least the people were fed. Now the country is controlled by mafiosos and most of the former state run businesses are owned by a select few individuals. I think Gorbachev was a bit more forward thinking and he laid a lot of the groundwork that Yeltsin fucked up.