This could replace the hammer and sickle
is the new symbol of the infant
confederation, a crying child in
a Russian hospital needs American
medicine to survive.
It's on the way, along with American
Christmas gifts for Russian children
and American wheat and American
advisors to oversee the huge nuclear
arsenal, what the U.S.
cannot provide is order.
I'm not predicting disaster.
I am just saying we've got to be alert to
the pressures that are going to
be brought to bear on the republic's
divisive pressures.
Ukrainians fear Russians will plunder
Ukrainian stores next week when Russia
unfreezes prices, costs inside
the Russian republic will double.
Ukraine also accused Russia of hoarding
rubles instead of distributing them to
other republics.
Several republics are moving to raise
their own armies.
Scholars wonder if military leaders will
become warlords.
Regional military
leaders are getting
their own ideas about their future,
and this is potentially very dangerous.
Defense chiefs met behind closed doors
Thursday to discuss reorganizing or
dismantling the military.
Meanwhile, a few government
representatives gathered to formally
dissolve the Soviet parliament.
Boris Yeltsin's Russian government
announced a plan to turn over state
businesses to individuals.
Starting next week, President Bush
announced he wants to meet with Yeltsin
soon as Washington tries to figure
out how to deal with 12 independent,
jealous and hungry republics.
Mikhail Gorbachev soaked in applause
as he left the world stage, goodbye,
evil empire.
Hello, nasty mess.