Boris Yeltsin 1931-2007

[August1991]

I never met Yeltsin. But I liked him and his books were good reads. I was a good friend of the Englishman who taught his daughter English. IMV, Yeltsin was a good person who lived a good, complete life.

Among the various eulogies, I haven't seen my key comment about Yeltsin - of relevance to politicians in the West.

Yeltsin knew how to surprise. He kept his cards close to his chest. (Harper and Trudeau compare.)

Yeltsin's resignation on the eve of the new millenium was a complete surprise. It was a surprise when he brought in Lebed in 1996, so too dancing on the stage during the elction. In 1997, when he brought in Chubais it was a surprise and then when he brought in Chernomyrdin later it was also a surprise. His choice of Gaidar was a surprise in 1993.

Boris Yeltsin was a democrat because he understood that democracy is part theatre. It is the actor's ability to surprise that keeps the audience attention.

No true democrat wants complete control.

[marcinmoka]

R.I.P

He did some good, some bad, same due to him, some beyond this control.

[jdobbin]

Boris Yeltsin was a democrat because he understood that democracy is part theatre. It is the actor's ability to surprise that keeps the audience attention.

No true democrat wants complete control.

I think the theatre part came because he was drinking heavily according to almost everyone who knew him.

Yeltsin's shock therapy dropped GDP by 50%, lifespans went down dramatically, hyperinflation ran rampant and people lost their lifesavings. Crime ran rampant and murders soared.

Yeltsin was such a democrat that he was his own prime minister during much of his rule. It was the oligarchs that he helped create that were responsible for his re-election in 1996. Most of the money that was lent by the IMF was stolen by Yeltsin's people.

By the time Yeltsin left office his popularity was around 2%.

[August1991]

Yeltsin's shock therapy dropped GDP by 50%, lifespans went down dramatically, hyperinflation ran rampant and people lost their lifesavings. Crime ran rampant and murders soared.

Compared to Soviet statistics, you're right. Hyperinflation? Soviet prices had nowhere to go but up.

[Dobbin, when the top comes off our Canadian medical bottle, the politician in place will face similar criticism.]

Yeltsin was such a democrat that he was his own prime minister during much of his rule. It was the oligarchs that he helped create that were responsible for his re-election in 1996. Most of the money that was lent by the IMF was stolen by Yeltsin's people.

Yeltsin was president, not prime minister. Gaidar and Chernomyrdin were personalities in their own right. And Yeltsin's election in 1996 against Zyuganov was remarkably honest. Putin would never tolerate such.

Yeltsin survived oil at $10/barrel. I don't think Putin, even now, could do that.

[jdobbin]

Compared to Soviet statistics, you're right. Hyperinflation? Soviet prices had nowhere to go but up.

[Dobbin, when the top comes off our Canadian medical bottle, the politician in place will face similar criticism.]

Yeltsin was president, not prime minister. Gaidar and Chernomyrdin were personalities in their own right. And Yeltsin's election in 1996 against Zyuganov was remarkably honest. Putin would never tolerate such.

Yeltsin survived oil at $10/barrel. I don't think Putin, even now, could do that.

Yeltsin was also prime minister.

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

As president, Yeltsin's conception of the presidency was highly autocratic. Yeltsin either acted as his own prime minister (until June 1992) or appointed men of his choice, regardless of parliament.

As far as hyperinflation goes, it plunged millions of Russians into poverty. I don't know that anything in Canadian is about to start a wave of hyperinflation.

The $10 billion dollar loan from the IMF during the election and the oligarch's taking control of the media and other businesses helped crush the opposition. Honest is not the word I'd call the election.

In the spring of 1996, Chubais and Yeltsin recruited a team of a handful of financial and media oligarchs to bankroll the Yeltsin campaign and guaranteed favorable media coverage the president on national television and in leading newspapers.[14] In return, Chubais allowed well-connected Russian business leaders to acquire majority stakes in some of Russia's most valuable state-owned assets.[15] The media painted a picture of a fateful choice for Russia, between Yeltsin and a "return to totalitarianism." The oligarchs even played up the threat of civil war if a Communist were elected president.

Yeltsin received protection from money laundering charges that Russian authorities were investigating. Low oil prices were not solely the reason Russia was having problems.

[Charles Anthony]

I remember hearing about Yeltsin's first uninvited surprise visit to the G7 summit in the 1990's -- I can not remember the year.

I never met Yeltsin either (sorry, I just had to say that) nor do I understand Russian but seeing Yeltsin on television ordering Gorbachev to read that letter (or whatever that was) made an impression on my developing political mind. It looked more powerful than hearing Reagan order Gorbachev to tear down that wall.

Maybe old people remember JFK's "Whatever your country wants to do to you!" speech in a similar vein.

As far as hyperinflation goes, it plunged millions of Russians into poverty.

Are you suggesting that Yeltsin is to blame? or that some other statesman could have stopped Russia's inflation??

I don't know that anything in Canadian is about to start a wave of hyperinflation.

I do not think that was the point. The point is that Yeltsin happened to be there at the time. If it was Bobby Fisher leading Russia at the time, you would blame him instead for the inflation.

There is no need to defend rigged elections or shady laundering deals. However, it is important to note that Yeltsin was in Russia. I have never been to Russia but I expect they do things differently there. Canadians wonder why all politicians of all stripes change once they get elected. We say "absolute power corrupts absolutely" and we shrug our shoulders. In Canada, we do things differently too.