Maybe just like the various European countries are cutting down on their deficits and inflation rates to qualify for the European Economic Community and such, Russia is cutting down on its messy and chaotic liberty factors so as to qualify for union with its brother Belarus. Just before (our) Christmas, the two governments signed an agreement promising union in 1999. Short of total adoption of a joint political system (and militaries), dissolution of their joint borders, etc., it is not clear what this will entail. Most likely now is a customs union, "free trade" area (that is, trade in each country won't be even more restricted on the grounds that it comes from the other country) and a common currency. Russian authorities have made clear, by the way, that the common currency will absolutely have to be the Russian ruble. I guess that's why they've started printing so many more billions of them already.
In a word (well, three), watch these spaces.
And that's the way it is...January 8, 1999. Happy New Year, everybody. It's the last one we've got this century.
I remain
Jeff Deutsch
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