Word: ouster
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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Gorbachev moved swiftly to claim the middle ground, telling Soviet editors, "We are frequently criticized by some from the right and some from the left." Referring indirectly to last year's ouster of Boris Yeltsin as head of the Moscow Communist Party organization, he denied that the move was a setback for reform. He indicated that Yeltsin, once a close ally, had pushed too hard for sweeping changes. As for criticism from the right, Gorbachev insisted that his initiatives were actually strengthening socialism rather than creating a Western-style "private-owner mentality" -- something that could not develop, he argued...
Soviet officials last week confirmed rumors that Yeltsin had suffered more than a political ailment. Several days before his ouster, he entered a cardiac unit of an elite Moscow hospital for treatment of "heart trouble." But Chief Foreign Ministry Spokesman Gennadi Gerasimov insisted that "his illness is not a serious one." In any case, Yeltsin was well enough to leave the hospital two weeks ago, albeit reportedly against his doctors' wishes, and attend the party meeting during which he was fired. Having swallowed that bitter pill, Yeltsin returned to the hospital for further medical care...
...other ways too, Gorbachev cracked open new windows in the previously impenetrable wall of Soviet history. He partly restored the reputation of Khrushchev, who died in disgrace 16 years ago, following his ouster in 1964. "It required no small courage of the party and its leadership, headed by Nikita Khrushchev, to criticize ((Stalin's)) personality cult and its consequences and to re-establish socialist legality," Gorbachev told the 5,000 Soviet officials and foreign dignitaries assembled before him in the cavernous modern hall. Khrushchev, who tried to launch decentralizing reforms similar to Gorbachev's, had not been publicly named...
Bourguiba's ouster was a sad finish to a remarkable career. He led his country to independence without the bloodshed that accompanied the French withdrawal from neighboring Algeria. Deeply pro-Western, he succeeded in transforming Tunisia from an underdeveloped backwater into one of the most prosperous nations in Africa. But in recent years the "supreme combatant," $ as he was known, had become increasingly impulsive and autocratic. Amid a worsening economic crisis, he refused to take steps to ensure an orderly transition, despite his deteriorating health. He banned opposition parties and dissolved trade unions. Last year he divorced his wife...
...ouster and the crackdown on intellectuals that ensued underscored the tensions between the past and the future that have bedeviled China in recent years. A new openness to foreign influences has brought rock music, motorcycles and even punk-style haircuts to China's cities. But the shock of the new is never easy, and many people are discomfited by the changes. An older generation regrets the passing of ancient traditions, and nearly everyone fears inflation, which was virtually unknown for more than 30 years but is now a growing problem. The result has been a continuing battle for China...