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Show AA3 The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION Sunday, January 31, 1999 Russia Needs Monetary Help From the U.S., Not Just the Usual Diplomatic Tokens There is no reason to suspect President Clinton was joking whenhesaid to the visiting pope last week he wants America “‘to strive to put a human face on the global economy.” Helping out thoseless fortunate has been oneof the proclaimed goals of U.S. foreign policy for many years. Now, with the American economy doing so muchbetter thanvirtually any other economyin the world, that goal appears more feasible than ever. Besides, ensuring people in other countries are not desperate makes a greatdealof sense for this country’s own well-being. Less suffering in the world means morestability, better business opportunities and, ultimately, better life for Americans. Andif there is a bunch of powerful, if rusting, nuclear weapons somewhere, it would makea lot of sense to make sure the seldiers guarding those weapons are well-fed andrelatively happy. That’s why, despite the well-known in- ternal challenges Clinton is currently facing, he didn’t forget to dispatch oneof his most trustworthyaides, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, to Moscowlast week to make sure he won't haveto deal with some sort of a catastrophe there when his domestic troubles are finally over with. Troubleis, the Russians were not im- pressed. That may have had something to do withthefactthat Albright does not seem to enjoya lot of respect in Moscow. Part of the reason might be that Russia probably is one of Europe's mostpolitically incorrect countries and, despite being praised recently by American tabloids for her chic clothes, Albright often is being casually referred to in Moscow as “that babushka [grandma] Albright.” But the main problemis, the state secretary, despite her apparently good rapport with the current Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, has not been associated there with any positive developments in the troubled U.S.-Rus- sian relations. Much-criticized in Russia bombings of Iraq, Sudan and Afghanistan, U.S. policies in Yugoslavia, the NATO’s eastward expansion, sanctions against several Moscow’s enterprises for their alleged Iran connections, and, finally, plans to revive the long-dead President Reagan’s dream of the “Star Wars” missile-de- fense program — all that has happened under Albright’s watch. The rough edges of the U.S.-Russian relationship showed clearly in a phone call between Albright and Russian President Boris Yeltsin, hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer. According to his spokesman, Yeltsin “expressed concern” about the missile-defense issue and told Al- RUSSIAN VIEW Moscow is so adamant about the U.S. treatment of Iraq is not that Saddam Hussein serves as a role model for the Russian kids. Actually, most Russians despise the dictator, and there is no love lost between Yeltsin and Saddam. But Saddam owes Russia more than $7 billion, and Moscowinits currentsituation MICHAELNAKORYAKOV bright that U.S. military action in Iraq or Kosovo without the specific authorization by the U.N. Security Council “is not permissible.” But the most interesting part of Moscow talks was that most of those grave disagreements mayhave faded considerably if only Albright had something to say on theissue that really mattered to her hosts. Theissue, evenif the officials can ill afford losing that kind of money — even if that means better relations with the United States Andif it only could have affordedit, BY DAVID IGNATIUS THE WASHINGTON POST quote of the month (and it’s a the magic five rings attached. But it’s also possible that the NBC executive is making the same mistake as the sports plutocrats who stumbled into the 1994 baseball strike and this year’s basketball competitive field, to be sure) is strike. The fans’tolerance is not Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Sports. ports. infinite. The Olympic bribery scandal maybe the clearest example yet of how business is overwhelming sports. The processis out of con- Asked recently about the Olympic bribery scandal, Ebersol blandly replied: “As far as the generalpublic,it goes off their radar screen as soon as the competi- tion and the athletes are on the air... The guy at homewill say, ans is the downhill coming on TEbereol has an understandable reason to play down the Olympic scandal. His network spent $3.5 billion a few years ago to purchase the rights to the next five Olympic games — an investment that mayturn outto be as prudent as buyinglifetimerights to the po- debt inherited from Mikhail Gorbachev's any deals with Iran, even if formally those deals really have nothing to do with nuclear weapons. With countries interest. litical wit and wisdom of Newt Gingrich. Maybe Ebersol is right to assume that sports fans are such captive couch potatoes that they'll watch anything that has has been receiving all the 8 years since on both sides would denythat, wascold, hard cash. Ofcourse, as Russian Foreign Minister International Monetary Fund ultimatums — and it will pay back manytimes Igor Ivanovsaid tartly at the joint news conference with Albright, “[The Russians] are building a market economy but [that] does not mean we should hand, a lot of money was stolen in Po- have a market foreign policy. We do not trade in our national interests.’ Yet on the other hand, the main reason like Iran, you never really know what they'll do tomorrow— and, incidentally, Moscowis muchcloser geographicallyto it significantly morevulnerableto potenRussia needs cash — lotofit, andit Westhas givenitoverthe years has been stolen, or wasted, or used badly That certainlyis true. On the other land, too — afterhalf ofits foreign debt was erased by Western creditors. Nevertheless, Poland nowis a success. to be chumps. They decided to Unfortunately, it would be a stretch to believe that was the message “babushka Albright” brought back to Clinton from her Moscowtrip. Michael Nakoryakovis an editor at The Tribune's World News Desk. Until 1991, he was a journalist in Russia. es 2002 — an investment whose val- uehas surely beentrimmedbythe cluded cash gifts and college scholarships for IOC members. Bythe time it was over, the Mormons of Salt Lake City were even handing out free booze. just-ended lockout; CBS, Fox, ESPN and ABC paid $17.6billion last year for NFL football rights Even the networksdoubt they can At the root of this mess is the make the money back. Instead, monopoly power of the organizers. The [0C’s control of Olympiclevel sports is so complete it they see sports as loss-leaders — brand-name events that will draw viewers to their other program- ming So rapacious has the sports world becomethat the first thing any new team owner does nowadays is sell the name of the stadium. Candlestick Park in San Francisco becomes 3Com Park, and soon San Franciscowill get a confident that the networks, in new baseball stadium called Pa- ternational Olympic Committee. turn, will pay too much for broadcast rights and the fans will pay cific Bell Park, named after a telephone company. Washingtonians, too, have an arena named after a phone company, at MCI Center. At least we don’t have a bowl game named after a snack food, like the Tostitos Fiesta too muchforseats. The moneythe television networks are paying for sports is staggering — probably beyond anything they can recoup. NBC Bowl. ownersand players, it may indeed ting, as Ebersol says so bluntly, that whenit's game time, we'll all shut up and watch the tube. But there are signs that the fans’ pa- fans. baseball four years — and Mark McGwire and SammySosa — to anch and someof his associates — including some roguish charac- nearly that long to recover from never make it to the cover of a Wheaties box. Stay tuned, sports The sports plutocrats are bet- tience is wearing thin. It took recover from the damageof the strike. It may take basketball this winter's greed-fest. For the be about money — butnotfor the As for the Olympicscandal, the fun is just beginning. The European press has begun investigating IOC head Juan Antonio Samar- ters who, to putit politely, would fans. They had lost out to Nagano, Ja- pan, for the '98 winter games — andthis time, they weren't going Satisfaction guaranteed or 100% money back!!! RadioShack. AD UPDATE UNDETECTABLE HEARINGAID... \@ MetaboBurn! Don't be fooledby “tree” hearing Aggressive, ali natural weight loss supplement. digital”. All testing is done by itaNovaDirect, a Portrait Offer No Fees!. ences of cera ere, Major Brand om er Majo Brand | mpletely- | “In-the-Ear” | _ 9161its 1-888-848-2507 Free shipping and handling! Also now available at Cottonwood Mall-in front ofVictoria's Secret! clinical audiologists. You will save : eee Over Metabolife! Over Calorad! Over BioSlim! 120 500mg gel capsulesfor just $24.95 New over. late 1997 for NBArights through derstoodto beits rules, which in- Rated #1 for weight loss! e the Soviet Union fell apart, and not the te Ancient OLYMPICS Something so tiny, but so Audible! @J needs help — notjust the tokensthat it and Turner paid $2.6 billion in play the game by what they un- the outstretched arms of the In- woods — avaricious babes, certainly, but no match for the IOC. Thefact that even now, after most of needs it now. Pumping moneyinto Russia is not exactly a popular idea, though. The opponents say most of the moneythat the The monopolies exercised by Major League Baseball, the NFL. and the NBAaresimilarly potent. What drives the system is the monopolists’ confidence that they own the only gamein town. The owners pay too muchfor players, One can sympathize with the Soviet Union and the need to pay the tial dangers. would make Microsoft blush. sports-hungry burghers of Salt Lake City. Though they've been cast as the villains of the piece, they look morelike babes in the least two years. Most problemsthere at that time were caused bythe $100billion Tehran than Washington is, which makes selves from throwing money at players, so they beg for salary caps; players care more about checks than playing the game; cities become so desperate to win the games they throwbribes into aged notto have anybudgetdeficit for at its brand new market system collapsed, the country somehow has managed to payits foreign creditors, shows the situation may not beall that hopeless. Russia trol: Owners can't restrain them- their multimillion-dollar pay- is that before the August collapse the Russian economy, with all its weaknesses, bad tax system and corruption, man- Russia would think twice beforestriking The FunIs Just Beginning for the IOC in This Sports Scandal WASHINGTON — leading candidate for the most arrogant Of course, Russia is much bigger, and so arethe risks. 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