Celebrity Death: Mikhail Gorbachev dead at 91

[super6646]

Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet president who took down the Iron Curtain, dies

Mikhail Gorbachev -- the last leader of the former Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991 -- has died at the age of 91.

amp.cnn.com

Okay I know he isn’t a “celebrity”, but I couldn’t find a better place to put this and this is a pretty significant one. If mods don’t find it appropriate, feel free to take it down.

Click to read more...

 

[John Price]

Rip

 

[Maestro84]

Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet president who took down the Iron Curtain, dies

Mikhail Gorbachev -- the last leader of the former Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991 -- has died at the age of 91.

amp.cnn.com

Okay I know he isn’t a “celebrity”, but I couldn’t find a better place to put this and this is a pretty significant one. If mods don’t find it appropriate, feel free to take it down.

To me a celeb is anyone who is known by a lot of people in the general public so Gorby is absolutely a celeb in that case. He was a great world leader who chose peace over violence and freedom of the people over party interest, and for those reasons his legacy will live on in a positive light.

RIP

 

[Vancouver Canucks]

Rip

 

[kihei]

Underrated electric guitar player.

 

[alko]

Gorbie Gorbie. RIP

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Gorbie Gorbie. RIP

I watched this earlier on repeat for a half an hour.

RIP Gorbie.

 

[PanthersPens62]

RIP

 

[beowulf]

No big loss for the world.

 

[super6646]

No big loss for the world.

Ended the Cold War peacefully… minor loss

 

[Jussi]

Ended the Cold War peacefully… minor loss

Well it's back now so...

 

[beowulf]

Ended the Cold War peacefully… minor loss

Ok I'll give you that but he still did a lot of not so nice stuff before that.

Well it's back now so...

That's Putin's fault but I guess Gorbachev was a Putin supporter if I recall over Yeltsin at the time.

 

[Jussi]

Ok I'll give you that but he still did a lot of not so nice stuff before that.


That's Putin's fault but I guess Gorbachev was a Putin supporter if I recall over Yeltsin at the time.

There's some conflicting reports on whether he believed in Putin's recent policies.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Gorbachev will forever be a personal reminder on perspective. Growing up in the U.S. in the 80s I’ve always viewed him and his actions as being good. Visited Russia a few years ago and as a dumb American, I’m like “Gorbachev, pretty good right?” And the majority of response I got was a very firm no, largely for the economic turmoil that resulted after the breakup of the USSR.

Being older and wiser I have a much better grasp on the complexities of decisions on the world stage that folks like Gorbachev had to make.

I’m not making a statement on the goodness or badness of Gorbachev and his actions, but I’m always going to remember my discussions there and the sharp contrast to my thoughts formed by growing up very American. Just found it interesting.

Werner Herzog did a documentary on Gorbachev a few years ago that I thought was pretty solid.

RIP

 

[beowulf]

There's some conflicting reports on whether he believed in Putin's recent policies.

Maybe not the recent ones but at the time he was part of the group that was backing Putin and wanted Yeltsin out.

 

[Terry Yake]

RIP

loved him in rocky 4

 

[Siamese Dream]

And I'm glad I'm not Gorbachev
'cause I'd wiggle all night
Like jelly in a pot
At leats he's got a garden with a fertile plot
And a party that will never stop

 

[Voight]

There's some conflicting reports on whether he believed in Putin's recent policies.

He was pro-Crimea but yes, nobody was sure if he was for or against Ukraine.

Maybe not the recent ones but at the time he was part of the group that was backing Putin and wanted Yeltsin out.

Which I get, since Yelstin pushed him out originally after Gorbachev pretty much pushed him up the ranks.

Side note - he is a former Grammy winner, so this thread kind of belongs here.