April 23, 2007

Boris Yeltsin, RIP

Boris Yeltsin, the man who saved Russian democracy so that Vladimir Putin could dismantle it, has died at the age of 76. The cause is not yet known, but Yeltsin had a host of medical problems:

In 1991 he famously outmanoeuvred former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and then triumphed against parliament hardliners in 1993.

Mr Yeltsin became Russia's first democratically elected head of state after Mr Gorbachev resigned as Soviet leader in December 1991.

He won international acclaim as a defender of democracy when in August 1991 he mounted a tank in Moscow, rallying the people against an attempt to overthrow Mr Gorbachev's era of glasnost and perestroika.

Yeltsin had his share of political problems, too. It was Yeltsin that initiated the military response to Chechnyan rebels, before they became inflitrated with Islamist terrorists. He also presided over the wild ride of Russian privatization, a process that undermined the press for democratic reform.

However, Yeltsin will always be remembered for that tank ride that stopped the Soviet Communists from retaking the Kremlin in 1991 and ending Mikhail Gorbachev's political career. Whatever else he did, that one shining moment of courage and tenacity will serve as an example not just for the Russians, who could use one right now, but for all people to remember as they seek -- or protect -- their liberty.

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» Boris Yeltsin, RIP from NoisyRoom.net
Courtesy of Captain’s Quarters: Boris Yeltsin, the man who saved Russian democracy so that Vladimir Putin could dismantle it, has died at the age of 76. The cause is not yet known, but Yeltsin had a host of medical problems: In 1991 he famousl... [Read More]

» Boris Yeltsin, 1931-2007 from The McGehee Zone

I was just wondering about ol' Boris the other day. Boris Yeltsin, who played a key role in the Soviet Union's demise and became Russia's first president, has died aged 76, the Kremlin says. Mr Yeltsin - who had a history of heart...

[Read More]

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