XPost: soc.culture.baltics, soc.culture.czecho-slovak, soc.culture.russian   
   From: valtsu@stadissa.fi   
      
   David Friedman wrote:   
   > In article   
   > ,   
   >  holman@mappi.helsinki.fi (Eugene Holman) wrote:   
   >   
   >> No other country within the Soviet sphere of influence fared as well as   
   >> Finland after WW II. When trying to conclude what was "reasonable" one has   
   >> to think holistically in addition to considering the alternatives that   
   >> were available. When trying to determine whether Finlandization meant   
   >> "submission" one has to remember that the relationship between the two   
   >> countries was asymmetrical in many dimensions, and that both parties   
   >> figured out ways to exploit these asymmetries to their mutual advantage.   
   >>   
   >   
   > An interesting account, and for all I know a correct one. But it still   
   > leaves unexplained the particular feature I mentioned in my post.   
   > Wouldn't the arrangement have still been in the interest of both parties   
   > if the barter trade had been on terms no worse for the USSR than what   
   > they could have gotten elsewhere? Indeed, wouldn't it have been still in   
   > the interest of Finland on terms even worse than that, given the   
   > alternative?   
   >   
   Indeed it would have been so. But you have to take into account all the   
   political, military and whatever aspects and the effect those would have   
   been on the trade between Finland and other countries.   
      
   > Or are you assuming that, once the system was going, Finland had a   
   > viable threat of dropping the relationship, joining NATO, and facing no   
   > serious risk of a Soviet attack--and the favorable terms were necessary   
   > to make that option not worth considering?   
   >   
      
   Joining NATO was not considered as an option. Other arrangements yes -   
   closer ties with Scandinavia but not in defense matters. But on the   
   whole, geography dictates. Helsinki is only 250 miles from St   
   Petersburg. Realpolitik.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)