ex-Foreign winner of Time Magazine Man Of The Year Mikhail Gorbachev, last leader of Soviet Union, has died at 91 "after a serious and long illness."

[basquebromance]

Gorbachev has a fascinating and tremendously complicated legacy – he ended the Cold War, but also presided over the collapse of the USSR.

Mr Gorbachev, rest in this peace!

 

[Freedomisneverfree]

Biden thinks its Putin......and offers his senile condolences....

 

[22lcidw]

Gorby was important in the transition which can be dangerous in dying or reduced empires.

 

[Meathead]

Gorbachev has a fascinating and tremendously complicated legacy – he ended the Cold War, but also presided over the collapse of the USSR.

Mr Gorbachev, rest in this peace!

RIP. He tried to change an empire and failed.

 

[justaschmuck9]

Gorbachev has a fascinating and tremendously complicated legacy – he ended the Cold War, but also presided over the collapse of the USSR.

Mr Gorbachev, rest in this peace!

thanks for the funny video..

 

[basquebromance]

Gorbachev changed his country and the world. he destroyed what remained of Communist totalitarianism in the Soviet Union. he introduced free elections for the 1st time since 1917 and established a functioning parliament to replace the rubber-stamp Supreme Soviet. He initiated glasnost (openness in politics and society) and turned it into genuinely free speech.

 

[basquebromance]

Gorbachev's noble project fell short in the end. seeking to democratize the USSR, he ended up presiding over it's collapse, a few days before he himself was forced to leave office. since then Russia has reverted to authoritarianism and the world has descended into a new Cold War

we need a new Gorbachev, we need Alexei Navalny

 

[shockedcanadian]

He possessed some ambitious reforms but then barely dodged the firing squad.

An imperfect man raised in an imperfect system and time. His record was just as imperfect and erratic.

RIP.

 

[basquebromance]

in 1988, (the year I was born), in contrast to his 3 aged, ill predecessors, all of whom died within a short 3 year span, Gorbachev was the picture of strength and energy. he travelled the USSR, mixed with people on the streets and in factories, stimulated vigorous discussions at Politburo meetings

At his second summit meeting with Reagan in Iceland in October 1986, Gorbachev & Reagan nearly agreed to abolish nuclear weapons (they disagreed when Reagan insisted on keeping the US nuclear program in space)

 

[basquebromance]

Joint Statement of President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev at the Geneva Summit On Abolishing Nuclear Weapons

"The US and USSR must not seek military superiority over each other"

Joint Soviet-United States Statement on the Summit Meeting in Geneva

Joint Soviet-United States Statement on the Summit Meeting in Geneva

www.reaganlibrary.gov

 

[MarcATL]

91 is a good run.

May he rest in peace.

 

[basquebromance]

Putin reversed everything Gorbachev did, similar to how Trump eviscerated everything Obama did

 

[basquebromance]

 

[basquebromance]

 

[Chillicothe]

Mr Gorbachev, rest in this peace!

I thought he had passed years ago.
I thought, at least, that he would be older than 91.

And.....I thought that Pizza commercial was absolutely wonderful. A hat-tip to poster Basque!

 

[basquebromance]

 

[Deplorable Yankee]

Gorbachev has a fascinating and tremendously complicated legacy – he ended the Cold War, but also presided over the collapse of the USSR.

Mr Gorbachev, rest in this peace!

 

[basquebromance]

i don't need silly memes, here's what the man REALLY said

 

[tahuyaman]

Gorbachev is more respected in the west than he is in Russia. The Russian people are not such a big fan

 

[there4eyeM]

A great and far-seeing leader. Too bad we didn't have as good at the time. An enormous historical occasion was missed.