I'm going to get a Yes, yes, sir,

it yes sure us,

we're sure us.

We're you,

again,

We you can yeah. Welcome to the Russian rulers history podcast.

Episode 110, the end of the USSR.

Now before we begin, I have to apologize for again having this podcast late, but the

flu bug hit the Shouse family and in particular my voice. So while I had everything ready for

last Sunday, it just wasn't to be because my voice just wasn't there and I didn't want to go out and record a podcast with a

scratchy coughing and sniveling a voice. So apologies to all but we're ready to

go on with our last episode of the Soviet Union.

One other note, I am leaving for a long trip to Australia.

I'll be teaching classes in laboratory medicine, which is my career and my job.

So I will be off to Sydney and Melbourne.

And if any of my listeners out there are from those

cities I'd love to get together with you. Maybe we can have lunch or a cup of coffee

or something like that and talk Russia. All right so let's get going. Last time, we recounted the disastrous state of the Soviet Union

and how Mikhail Sergeiovich Gorbachev tried to reform the system,

but unfortunately, he did so without thinking things through.

Now on our Facebook page, Russian rulers history, there's been some discussion on how I've been

treating Gorbachev a little bit too harshly. Now to be honest I can agree

...