XPost: soc.culture.baltics, soc.culture.czecho-slovak, soc.culture.russian   
   From: holman@mappi.helsinki.fi   
      
   In article , James A. Donald   
    wrote:   
      
   > > > Finn's *had* to sell stuff to Russia, and *had* to   
   > > > accept worthless rubles in exchange.  Big   
   > > > difference.   
   >   
   > "captain."   
   > > what period of history are you referring to?   
   >   
   > Till the fall of the Soviet Union.   
   >   
   > Transaction were done in rubles at official Soviet   
   > prices - which prices only those subject to Soviet   
   > domination were willing to accept.   
      
   Please stop writing this nonsense. Transactions were denominated in   
   non-existent "clearing dollars", at prices that the USSR determined only   
   with respect to the supply of discounted raw materials. If what you claim   
   were true, it would be difficult to explain why the Soviet Union always   
   had a significantly lower living standard than any of the countries that   
   were its primary trading partners.   
      
   Regards,   
   Eugene Holman   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)