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