Russia’s Economy

In the Dec. 28 paper I read about Russia’s deployment of its new Topol-M nuclear missile on Page 4. In the same issue on Page 1 you reported the return of the barter system in Russia.

There is a terrible inconsistency in Russia. Last week in The Times you reported that many employees in Russia had not been paid in months, and Russia “swallowed its pride” and accepted shiploads of free food from the U.S.

What is Russia doing spending so much money on missiles when they cannot feed their people? Who are they going to shoot the missiles at, the nation that is providing them free food?

MARSHALL KLINE, Los Angeles

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We live in a screwy world! On Page 1 there’s an article that the U.S. is giving $6 million in food aid to Russia (Dec. 24). Beneath it is an article that details that 900 steelworkers were laid off in Weirton, W. Va. Why? Because Russia is losing money by dumping Russian steel in the U.S. The same Russian workers can be producing food for their people. Job cuts in the U.S. are expected to reach 10,000 by year’s end.

As I read this, the U.S. government has taken all the money that these steelworkers paid in income taxes for about the last 10 years and used it to destroy their jobs and livelihood!

STANLEY SCHREIBER, Marina del Rey