Gorbachev turns 90

[jon-nyc]

[George K]

That's just great.

He looks pretty good!

[Renauda]

@george-k

That was taken some time ago. Mikhail Sergeevich is looking his years now.

He is probably the most reviled person in Russia.

[Aqua Letifer]

A buddy of mine mic'd him for some thing downtown back in the day. He was an A/V intern and it was his first day. Gorbachev had to teach him how a lapel mic attaches.

[Loki]

It’s amazing the gap between what was imagined and where we are now.

How did we reward Russia over the decades for the risks they took?

[xenon]

@renauda said in Gorbachev turns 90:

He is probably the most reviled person in Russia.

Why? And is it warranted?

[Renauda]

@xenon

why? This article sums it up fairly well:

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/gorbachev-hero-or-holy-fool-1.1046467

Is it warranted? If you are a Russian, yes. If you are a Ukrainian or citizen of any former Soviet Republic, probably. If you are from any of the former communist states in east Europe, no. If you are from the West, it doesn't matter, since no one, including Gorbachev himself and Russians themselves, could figure out what he was on about.

As one Russian told me back in the '90's, Gorbachev had one answer for every question, "Процес пошел" - Protseis poshyol - The process has begun". The problem was is that he had no idea what the process was that had started or where it might lead.

I actually met him once. In Calgary shortly after his Nobel prize. The University of Calgary and the Gorbachev Foundation had set up a joint governance project under a Foreign Affairs Canada programme. He was in Calgary for the big announcement and accompanying fanfare and schmooze fests.

[Renauda]

From yesterday's Moscow Times:

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/03/02/on-this-day-in-1931-mikhail-gorbachev-was-born-a69483