To answer the following, Yeltsin IS 'incoherent' in more ways than one. He has not been well since at least 1995. Everyone in Russia knows that and jokes about his health (and his manners of speech, which resembles that of a chronic drunk) have become widespread. Nonetheless, he has been seen quite often on Russia's national television; his image makers, it seems, have been working overtime to make him appear youthful, resolute and OFTEN during the past month. He smiles on TV and in newspaper photos as though nothing (with him and the country's economy) was rotten. This idea of psychopathological treatment of the masses through televised mental hygiene sessions by a smiling President makes politics into just another soap opera. I guess, as predicted by modernization theorists, Russia has become just like the U.S.? The bit about not interrupting his vacation was just such a PR stunt; to make it appear as though the economy was under control. In reality, on the day following his announcement that he will not interrupt his holiday he (as well as Chubais and the head of the Central Bank - Dubining) interrupted his(their) vacation(s), returning to Moscow for an important meeting with the IMF officials, including their head honcho in Russia, Odling-Smee. All the best, Greg. boddhisatva wrote: > [snip] > By the way, has anyone actually seen Yeltsin alive and upright > lately? This business of his not wanting to interrupt his vacation is > something I remember from the old Soviet days. From what I've read there > is talk in Russia that Yeltsin is incoherent. I think the guy may have > had a stroke on top of the heart attack. Who knows, while he sits > comatose in the dacha, his crew may be busy setting up Swiss accounts and > safe passage out. Something about the Russian situation makes me want to > be in a mountain cabin with a large, lead-lined basement. > > peace -- Gregory Schwartz Dept. of Political Science York University 4700 Keele St. Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3 Canada Tel: (416) 736-5265 Fax: (416) 736-5686 Web: http://www.yorku.ca/dept/polisci
