BELARUS….

President Alyaksandr Lukashenka knows what’s wrong with Russia’s economy: not too little reform, but too much. None would be best. “The government of Belarus aims to achieve in the year 2001 the level of economic development and social protection of Soviet times,” his prime minister declared. And with Soviet methods. The free market is “destabilizing” and “hurried” privatization may “inflict serious damage on the state.” Can’t have that. Belarus turned down the offer of an IMF loan to support a reform program, and the Fund is closing its office in Minsk.