$24-Billion Aid Package for Russia
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The April Fool’s Day announcement of U.S. participation in a $24-billion aid package for the former Soviet republics was, pathetically, not a joke. Supporters of this aid program cryptically proclaim it to be “in our national interest.”
I am no economist, no foreign policy genius; just a simple-minded taxpayer. Still, it would appear that general Russian economic chaos and deterioration would render the Soviet-bloc countries no further threat to our peaceful existence.
It has yet to be logically stated, much less demonstrated, what national interest will be served by this expansive aid program, which would dispense much of the savings captured from our reduced defense budget.
Not one dollar of U.S. money should be transferred to these Russian republics unless and until they act to unilaterally and completely disarm their nuclear war capability. We could arguably support physical, rather than economic, assistance in achieving that goal.
Frothy attempts to stabilize the Russian ruble with infirm U.S. dollars are gullible experiments, if not demented.
LEE C. WITHAM
San Diego
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