XPost: soc.culture.baltics, soc.culture.czecho-slovak, soc.culture.russian   
   XPost: soc.culture.nordic   
   From: anton.usenet@gmail.com   
      
   James A. Donald kirjoitti:   
         --   
   > Anton:   
   >> Had the trade been a economical burden it would show   
   >> in the books.   
      
   > What showed in the books was the equivalent of over a   
   > billion Euros of unpaid bills, seven billion Finnish   
   > marka, an exceedingly large interest free "loan" to the   
   > Soviet Union, which is a fair bit for a country like   
   > Finland.   
      
   > Since the debt was interest free, and the Finnish Marka   
   > has been subject to substantial inflation, this boils   
   > down to Russians getting  stuff, and Finns paying for   
   > it.   
      
   > Typical socialist trade and socialist economics.   
      
   Inflation was not that high from mid 80s forward. Russia did actually   
   pay in full the USSR's debt to Finland (I do not have data on if they   
   also paid interest). If the unit prices for imported stuff from the   
   USSR, like a barrel of oil, was way below market value, then it would   
   even out any loss in interest not paid.   
      
   --   
   Anton   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)