Reform in Russia

* Re “What a Menacing Mess We’ve Made,” by Jeffrey Sachs, Commentary, Jan. 26: The listing of reform blunders started by Sachs’ intrusive “shock therapy” fantasies is the best self-indictment of the amorphous mess created in Moscow. Spreading the blame on the West, G-7 and the IMF for lack of monetary aid is a red herring. It covers up reform mismanagement in Russia and ill advice rendered by Russian, Swedish and American radical reform advisers.

Lack of a comprehensive master plan to deracinate the deep-rooted Stalinist economic rot is the prime failure of Russian reforms.

The Russian people could have voted on a reform plan by a referendum on Dec. 12, as they did by approving a new constitution. Instead, Russian voters by power of new democratic processes threw out the radical reformers and advisers. Gaidarism in Moscow and Balcerowiczism in Warsaw (that caused 16% unemployment in Poland) are classic failures of narrow economic policies. They dared to disobey the market needs and political will of the people.

THAD PERRY

Somis