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The NYT offers a curious meditation on the historical parallels between the collapse of the USSR (when “shock therapy” was the order of the day) and the US’s current difficulties:

Just in time:

“The time of domination by one economy and one currency has been consigned to the past once and for all,” Medvedev said during a forum alongside Chancellor Merkel.

“We must work together towards building a new and more just financial-economic system in the world based on the principles of multipolarity, supremacy of the law and taking account of mutual interests.” [AFP, “Era of US financial dominance over: Medvedev,” 2 Oct ’08]