Boris Yeltsin, R.I.P.

Morbyd

Morbyd

Moderator
Not sure why, but I felt a profound sadness when I heard the news of Yeltsin's death today.

I never lived in Boris Yeltsin's Russia, and the Russia he left behind was far from perfect, but the legacy this man left behind has had such a profound impact on all our lives. Consider how different things would be if he had not precipitated the break-up of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and moved his nation away from its Communist past.

What an amazing thing that an American like me can ride past the Kremlin, Red Sq and St Basil's on the way to work each morning. My my how this world has changed in just our short lifetimes... and Boris played such a major roll in that.

Rest in peace, Boris Nikolaevich.
 
The "Dancing Bear", some great footage of him on TV yesterday.

To be honest I thought of him as a bit of a figure of fun until i saw what his presidency had meant, both the positives and the negatives.

A truly fascinating character!
 
Morbyd said:
Not sure why, but I felt a profound sadness when I heard the news of Yeltsin's death today.

I never lived in Boris Yeltsin's Russia, and the Russia he left behind was far from perfect, but the legacy this man left behind has had such a profound impact on all our lives. Consider how different things would be if he had not precipitated the break-up of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and moved his nation away from its Communist past.

What an amazing thing that an American like me can ride past the Kremlin, Red Sq and St Basil's on the way to work each morning. My my how this world has changed in just our short lifetimes... and Boris played such a major roll in that.

Rest in peace, Boris Nikolaevich.
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RIP Boris. anyone who orders "FIRE" on a government building must have some balls.

morbyd, please correct me if i'm wrong but what you've said above echoes with the old "evil commie" speeches that you and you kindred were indoctrinated with during the cold war.

and how the yanks defeated communism rather than it crumbling away from the inside.

so, am i wrong???
 
Not what I said at all, Grego. I think it crumbled from the inside.

Reagan maybe kept a bit of pressure up by ramping up the arms race (they could only spend so much of GDP on the military without neglecting everything else). But the problems inherent in the system and the corruption and stagnation under Brezhnev, followed by the lack of strong leadership afterwards, were far more important.
 
Morbyd said:
Not what I said at all, Grego. I think it crumbled from the inside.

Reagan maybe kept a bit of pressure up by ramping up the arms race (they could only spend so much of GDP on the military without neglecting everything else). But the problems inherent in the system and the corruption and stagnation under Brezhnev, followed by the lack of strong leadership afterwards, were far more important.
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i didn't ask for a history lesson, i just wanted you to admit you fell for all the evil commie stuff!;) :lol:
 
No, never really fell for it, which is why I started studying the region in uni. :p

That is what we were taught in school, though.
 
have you seen the 'power of nightmares' documentary, if not check it out on youtube. links the us defeat of communism myth into a whole wider tapestry of neo con/strausian theory and action. really interesting.
 
the thing is, communism has got a bad rep cos of it's failure in the last 20 years; in systems, that for the purists, weren't strictly communist.
 
Very true. The USSR was more of an autocratic socialist system than pure communist.

But even in places like Tanzania, where the system of African Socialism (much closer to pur communism) was attempted, it didn't work. Of course, that was an agrarian society and the concept was meant for industrialized nations...
 
Morbyd said:
Very true. The USSR was more of an autocratic socialist system than pure communist.

But even in places like Tanzania, where the system of African Socialism (much closer to pur communism) was attempted, it didn't work. Of course, that was an agrarian society and the concept was meant for industrialized nations...
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haha, i never said communism would work (and before you say it, i know you didn't say i did;)), i was merely making the point that most people think communism is not a viable system of rule. maybe it's not.

marxism on the other hand.
 
chewie_oo7 said:
no form of govt works.

theres always winners and losers whatever you have.
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good one.:roll: :roll: but that's not the point is it. to quote the obvious here.

"democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time"
 
grego said:
good one.:roll: :roll: but that's not the point is it. to quote the obvious here.

"democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time"
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ive got a degree in stating the bleeding obvious.

;)
 
Morbyd said:
Communism is actually more an economic system than a form of government :idea:
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yes but a form/system of govt nonetheless, in that govt controls the economy to progress to "higher social order/shared wealth" (whatever that bollox is).

suppose you could still call something a democracy in a 1 party state. just that they only have one choice.
 
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