Yep! Indeed, many oligarchs came from academic backgrounds. Gregory Luchansky, who made one of the original Soviet era fortunes by selling Soviet oil purchased at domestic prices and diverting it to world markets at global prices, was a Vice-Rector for Administration at the University of Latvia. He was removed in 1982 for corruption. He later went on to found offshore oil companies run out of Austria, such as Nordex, originally as a way to launder $ for the KGB to run global intelligence operations. He then ran it for immense personal gain and began selling off Russia's natural resources, and reputedly tutored Clinton's associate Mark Rich in the business of creating energy offshores.
Jeffrey Sommers, Assistant Professor Department of History North Georgia College & State University Dahlonega, GA 30597 Ph.: 706-864-1913 or 1903 Fax: 706-864-1873 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Research Associate, World History Center Northeastern University, Boston Url: www.whc.neu.edu Research Associate Institute of Globalization Studies, Moscow http://www.iprog.ru/en/ -- on 3/6/04 22:37, Michael Perelman at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Wasn't he a Ph.D. mathematician also? > > > On Sat, Mar 06, 2004 at 08:40:21PM +0300, "Chris Doss" wrote: >> Yes, this goes for Russia as well. Berezovsky sold used cars. Actually all >> the oligarchs with a few exceptions (e.g. Khodorkovsky) were lumpens, >> nobodies. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: "Devine, James" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 09:38:18 -0800 >> Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Ceaucescu and Romanian transition >> >>> I don't know much about Eastern Europe, but it seems to me that many of the >>> rising class of capitalists (and capitalist politicians) there also were >>> "entrepreneurs" in the illegal markets. I would guess that in Poland, some >>> of them were corrupt unionists from Solidarnosc. >>> Jim Devine >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: "Chris Doss" [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Sent: Sat 3/6/2004 9:27 AM >>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Cc: >>> Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Ceaucescu and Romanian transition >>> >>> >>> >>> Well, yeah, but I was just trying to say that the only people who had any >>> experience with administration in e.g. Poland were former Communists, for >>> obvious reasons. People running around publishing samizdat aren't usually >>> experts on city planning. >>> >>> Russia's a big exception to this. >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: "Devine, James" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Date: Sat, 6 Mar 2004 07:41:05 -0800 >>> Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Ceaucescu and Romanian transition >>> >>>> of course, back when they ran "communist countries," they tried to make >>>> sure that no-one else _could_ govern unless they'd already proved their >>>> loyalty... >>>> Jim D. >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: "Chris Doss" [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> Sent: Sat 3/6/2004 3:04 AM >>>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> Cc: >>>> Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Ceaucescu and Romanian transition >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> I don't know about the Romanian situation in particular, but one reason why >>>> former "Communist" leaders are in power thruought EE is that they are the >>>> only ones with experience in actually running a country. >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: "Devine, James" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 13:46:35 -0800 >>>> Subject: Re: [PEN-L] Ceaucescu and Romanian transition >>>> >>>>> given how bad the Rumanian government was before Ceaucescu was overthrown, >>>>> I find the view presented by NPR poet-commentator to be a bit more >>>>> plausible: the same thugs that ruled before the "revolution" ended up in >>>>> power afterwards (with the notable exception of Ceaucescu and his family). >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> > > -- > Michael Perelman > Economics Department > California State University > Chico, CA 95929 > > Tel. 530-898-5321 > E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu
