Quoth Paul Blustein (Washington Post), in part:
> ...... After the virtual collapse of [Russia's] economy last month,
> pro-Western forces are in full retreat and speculation abounds that
> socialist policies will be revived.
But what flavor? The sausage-fingered style of the Brezhnev era is still
what the word "socialism" most commonly evokes in Russia. That memory
could cause gridlock or worse.
("...pro-Western forces are in full retreat...." That's a curious map
Blustein is using: Does he think everyone from Babeuf to Kautsky was
born in Moscow?)
> Another example is Malaysia, which this week effectively cut itself off
> from global financial markets by imposing tight controls on the flow of
> capital across its borders. The country had thrived over most of the past
> decade by welcoming investments by U.S., Japanese and European firms. But
> Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, furious over the selling wave that has
> sunk the Malaysian currency and stock market, decreed that the currency,
> the ringgit, could no longer be freely traded.
This _could_ be exciting if we could perceive it as delinking.
Would Amin et al think so, or consider Mahatir Mohamad too newly minted
a revolutionary; too soiled by his years of selling Malaysia piecemeal
to the highest transnational bidders to be taken seriously?
I mean can Saul become Paul without even getting knocked off his steed?
...........................................
> But the words "blessing in disguise" have disappeared from Camdessus's
> public utterances lately, underscoring growing fears among Western analysts
> and officials that the crisis may prove an unadulterated curse.
Poor M. Camdessus: if he can type 20/wpm and spell decently I might have a
job for him. He can think of it as working for a dictator, just like now.
............................................
> "Malaysia's going to provide a good negative example to everybody, and in
> that sense what they've done may turn out to be a constructive
> contribution," a senior administration official said.
Didn't Larry Summers recently display similar pretzel logic
re toxic waste shipments to the Third World? I just love these guys!
They need a good exploding cigar.
valis
