Today, the first democratically elected president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, was laid to rest in Moscow. Fittingly, his memorial service was held in Christ the Saviour Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox cathedral, which Yeltsin had rebuilt after it was razed by the atheist despot Stalin. Further, the father of democracy in the former USSR was interred in Novodevichye Cemetery among Everypersons as opposed to the Kremlin, the burial place of his repressive, Communist CCCP predecessors. He was honored with a national day of mourning as his countrymen and world leaders, including his successor President Vladimir Putin, his antecessor and critic
Mikhail Gorbachev, former U.S. Presidents (Bush and Clinton), whilom U.K. Prime Minister John Major, and Solidarity leader and Polish President Lech Walesa, bid the great Russian leader adieu. Thank you, Mr. President, for standing up against tyranny and oppression and for democracy and freedom.
Cf. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1262483,00.html; http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/04/24/russia.yeltsin/index.html; and http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,21626293-401,00.html?from=public_rss.
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Hear! Hear! I accord fully with your sentiment regarding the only leader in Russian or Soviet memory to win power democratically and then to voluntarily relinquish it on his own accord.
To paraphrase the immortal James Agee, let us all now praise famous men, and raise a bowl of vodka high in Boris Yeltsin's honor!
I sent an e-mail to O'Reilly last night because of his "dissing" Yeltsin in re his affinity for the Russian national drink and other potent libations. Further, he failed to be "fair and balanced" and laud Yeltsin's contributions to a freer and more democratic world. If you are going to give Boris a "salud," remember to do it with Stoli Gold!
It's a shame that Putin is actively pursuing a reversal of this democratic trend but cheers to Boris for his part in seeking to establish and follow democratic rule.
Tyrants have of way of not living long or else, eventually getting caught in their own machinery. Putin is probably going to go out soon, from what I've read, and maybe they'll have a 'Yeltsin' type replace him or someone more tyrannical than Putin. I certainly hope for the former, 'Yeltsin' type. Maybe we'll have a 'Reagan' type in Thompson, either way.
Russia is a great country, and she, hopefully, will continue to follow the course that Yeltsin began. Putin, a very popular authoritarian leader, is a law and order leader who gives his people a sense of security, normalcy, and national pride. Hopefully, the next leader will more fully appreciate freedom of the press and the virture of dissent.
Yes, I hope the next leader will opt not to assassinate (literally speaking) his rivals and critics.
They don't make many like Boris...
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