Chris, I didn't say the oligarghs did what they did to save Russia.  All 
they did was lend the state (Yeltsin) money in return for shares as 
collateral.  That's all I said.  It was a stupid deal made in desperation.

Ed


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Christoph Reuss" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 1:49 PM
Subject: Re: [Futurework] [Ottawadissenters] Re: Sound money


> Ed wrote:
>> Chris, you mention the Russian oligarchs.  It was a little more complex 
>> than
>> the way you put it.  I spent a month in Russia, mainly Moscow, in 1994,
>> shortly after the collapse of Communism.  It was chaos.  Yeltsin was
>> desperate: he had a country to run and yet there was no way he could tax.
>> Ever so much of what went on in Russia at the time took place in the
>> "underground economy" operated by "the Mafia".  Printing money was one 
>> way
>> to do the business of the state, but it was tremendously inflationary.
>> Other schemes were tried, but nothing seemed to work.  In the end, 
>> Yeltsin
>> had to turn to well-to-do Russians with international connections -- the
>> oligarchs.  They agreed to get him money in return for collateral, shares 
>> in
>> key national industries.  The idea was that Yeltsin would fix the country
>> up, make it productive, repay the oligarchs and get the shares back.
>
> Yeah right, the mega-thieves saved Russia!  How absurd can neo-con spin 
> get?
>
> Soros played an important role in the collapse of Communism.  Guess with 
> what
> goal?  To liberate the Russian people, or to reap money?
>
> And the same rip-off now happens in Western Europe, with increasing
> privatization.  You can't say that Switzerland is "chaos", can you?
> We have the best-functioning public services, but they are being
> privatized now to enrich a few oligarchs.  The cave-men are taking
> us back to medieval times...
>
> Chris
>
>
>
>
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