Re: peace, democracy, and free markets

Submitted by David Romero (United States), Dec 27, 2002 at 18:10

Your appraisal of Michael Mandelbaum's book, "The Ideas That Conquered The World," seem, as regarding the future, a trifle enthusiastic for Mandelbaum's inaccurate assessments. First of all, since when is Russia displaying a "rough and ready" free-market economy?

That country is rife with economic corruption that while certainly "rough" (and deadly) is hardly free. Sugggestion: Read Vladimir Socor's published comments at IASPS.org (Institute for Advanced Strategic and Political Studies). If anything, you will be assured that, far from being politically or economically moribund, Russia is making considerable geo-political and economic gains in the Baltics and the Middle East, led principally by old guard Soviets. This includes not only Putin, but former masterminds of the KGB. Their guiding light is not free-market principles but rather economic and political blackmail and coercion against former Soviet Republics desiring democratic governments, free economies, and admission into the NATO umbrella which would extend and strengthen European Westernization. As many of these former Soviet client states in the Caspian Basin are oil wealthy, the Russian politburo is waging a vigorous struggle against their democratization as a solvent to its own strategies and ambitions for economic and political hegemony, i.e., the flow and price of oil throughout Europe. Sounds to me like the Bear still sh*ts in the woods.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".