by Judi McLeod
June 7, 2004
The man U.S. Ex-President Ronald Reagan ordered: "Mr. Gorbachev, take down this wall" maintains offices in downtown Washington, D.C. Promoted by a gaggle of Hollywood celebrities and funded by average americans, former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev’s life in the West is one of privilege.
Present at Reagan’s state funeral on Friday, a less somber Gorbachev attended the 80th birthday of George Bush on Saturday.
Rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous since winning the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 15 1990, Gorbachev has never renounced communism. Nor has he taken the trouble to speak the language of his adopted country, choosing to speak through an interpreter when recently interviewed by Larry King.
Gorbachev’s forays into the West started in 1983 when he headed a Soviet delegation to Canada to meet with Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and members of the Canadian House of Commons and Senate.
In 1985, he travelled to the United Kingdom where he met with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
But it was on american soil where Gorbachev was to flourish as a businessman/activist.
Since 1993, Gorbachev has been the driving force behind Green Cross International (GCI), whose american counterpart, Global Green USa has offices in Washington, D.C. and in Santa Monica, Calif.
Fellow tenants in offices rented by Global Green USa include the environmental lobby group, Friends ofthe Earth.
But Gorbachev’s political drift doesn’t have to be gleaned from his professional neighbours.
Stated mission of GCI is to "help create the conditions for a sustainable future by cultivating a more harmonious relationship between humans and the environment."
GCI was founded "building on the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and supporting the implementation of agenda 21."
With GCI now represented in 28 countries, Gorbachev is better received by the outside world than he is in present day Russia, where he is, in some quarters, still held responsible for the collapse of communism.
as David Frost put it after Gorbachev was detained at his dacha during the 1991 coup: "He went for a weekend in the country and returned to find a country to have a weekend in."
Not so in america, where he flew in from Moscow with wife Raisa to launch Global U.S.a, two years later.
Gorbachev had no problem attracting fans and admirers from high society. "I like this kind of man and I think we need more of them," Maria Shriver told People Magazine in 1994.
according to GCI web page, "Many eminent and well-known personalities from the world have accepted to be members of the honorary boards such as Ted Turner, Robert Redford, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Reta Levi Montalcini and Yoko Ono."
Count among Gorbachev supporters the United Nations, which has awarded GCI its highest accreditation: "NGO in general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the UN."
Since arriving in the U.S., Gorbachev has been leading a life of activism.
an avowed atheist, in 1994, Gorbachev, along with the President of the Earth Council, Maurice Strong, on the initiative of the Dutch Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers and with the participation of UNESCO Director General Federico Mayor, signed an agreement to collaborate on the Earth Charter.
The Earth Charter, Gorbachev and Strong admit, is destined to replace Moses’ Ten Commandments.
In the U.S., Gorbachev’s influence goes well beyond the Earth Charter.
On Nov. 26 2001, the former Soviet leader founded the Social Democrat Party of Russia, a union between several Russian social democrat parties.
a new quarterly GCI magazine called the Optimist began publishing in april 2004.
Gorbachev is working on U.S. soil for "a new glasnost for the Planet."
"We need a new form of glasnost and perestroika to help us redress the many divides that undermine the goals of sustainable development," Gorbachev said.
Recognized as being of "public utility", GCI’s and its american counterpart Global Green’s donors are all tax exempt.
Of late, the former Soviet leader is entreating americans online to Take the (Clean Energy) Pledge.
"Thousands of others–including Leonardo Di Caprio, Charlize Theron and Pierce Brosnan (are) signing the Pledge of allegiance to american Energy Independence.
Gorbachev wants americans to "commit to taking personal action in your life, and sending a message to our leaders in Washington to create a clean energy future by thanking Sen. John McCain for helping defeat the dirty energy bill currently in the U.S. Congress and co-sponsoring the Climate Stewardship act."
Gorbachev’s finger was even in the academy awards ceremony pie. "In Global Green U.S.a’s second annual Green Car Campaign on Feb. 29, 2004, some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Charlize Theron, Marcia Gay Hardin, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Sting, Keisha Castle-Hughes, Robin Williams, Will Ferrell and Jack Black arrived at the red carpet at this year’s academy awards in alternative fuel vehicles rather than gas-guzzling limos."
In 1997, Gorbachev starred in Pizza Hut commercials made for the U.S.a. to raise money for the Perestroika archives.
a Peter and the Wolf CD, introduced by Gorbachev, was narrated by Sophia Loren and Bill Clinton. "a portion of the proceeds goes to the GCI and other charitable organizations."
In the business world, the former Soviet leader has come a long way from the days when he was elevated to the Politburo in 1979.
Ironically, it was democracy that moved him from Moscow to Washington where he continues his work.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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