Three Toasts Offer a Charge of Optimism
The economist Sergei Glazyev, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and an elected representative in the Russian State Duma, spoke during the May 15 special session at the Academy of Sciences. Like other speakers and those who offered toasts, he addressed Professor Menshikov in the traditional Russian form, using his first name and patronymic.
Dr. Glazyev: Thank you, Valeri Leonidovich, for the opportunity to speak. Dear Stanislav Mikhailovich, it is my honor to congratulate you. Unfortunately, I was unable to be here to hear your forecast, since I have just come from the State Duma, where you are known and respected, no less so than in the scientific community.
I would say that among the thinking part of the Russian political elite, the contributions of Stanislav Mikhailovich are unparalleled. This is no exaggeration. It is difficult, today, to get the people dealing with economic policy in our country to think. This is an extremely difficult task. But if the country does manage to move forward, we can thank Stanislav Mikhailovich, inclusively. People who want to really find something out, to understand something, and to debate it and think it through, find in him some room for discussion, debate, and for drawing conclusions.
I personally would like to express my appreciation and gratitude to Stanislav Mikhailovich for what he has accomplished, in science and for our society. I think that what he does, is truly a great deed. And he does this great deed with love for our country, and with faith that we shall succeed in overcoming stupidity and living by our own wits. I would like to wish you good health, and to wish for all of us to have more common sense, and a better understanding of the meaning of what is happening. Strange as it may seem, as my colleagues just now were debating the budget, it was evident that what we most lack in the life of our country today is meaning—in place of the exercises in virtuality that have come to dominate the government and society. In recapturing the meaning of things, Stanislav Mikhailovich helps a lot, because he is always reality-oriented, evaluating the situation soberly and uncovering the lawful patterns in the life of society.
Unlike many of my friends, who always issue pessimistic forecasts, Stanislav Mikhailovich carries a great charge of optimism, which permeates all of his work. I wish for him to keep that. I don't know about reaching the year 2027 together with Stanislav Mikhailovich, but at least for all our working lives, I wish for us to find meaning in policies for our country. Thank you very much.
A Mysterious Thread
The senior journalist Arkadi Maslennikov, who had a long career at the Soviet Communist Party paper Pravda, and now works at the Institute for Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, offered a toast at the May 16 jubilee banquet, to the continuing ability of Professor Menshikov to make an impact with his ideas. He noted that these ideas appear to be making headway, albeit slowly, in the upper echelons of power in Russia. Stanislav Menshikov then commented, as follows.
Prof. Menshikov: Indeed, I listened to Putin's most recent Message to the Federal Assembly, and I thought, "Who's writing this for him? This is what I've been calling for, for the last several months: an industrial policy, with the participation of the state in the economy." Of course, I am not the only one calling for this, but I am one.
And I look at the people around him, and—no, I haven't seen any of his advisors, who are supporting anything like this. And I keep observing with surprise, that it's as if there is a mysterious thread that binds together my thoughts, and those of my co-thinkers, with what the President of the country expressed in his Message and other speeches.
Perhaps it's the Almighty, or perhaps we have some kind of covert ally, hiding somewhere in the Presidential entourage. In any case, what Arkadi Maslennikov has just said is true. From time to time, I do have the feeling, that what we write is not left unread and unattended to in our country. I'm not talking about the neo-liberal ministers, who should be retired. Rather, the President himself. And this has happened more than once. So, thank you, Arkadi, for drawing our attention to the fact that our efforts do not remain without any response. Thank you.
A Long Wave Across the Bering Strait
Academician Alexander Granberg is Russia's leading specialist on integrated economic development programs for Russia's regions, particularly in Siberia and the Far East. He is head of the Council for the Study of Productive Forces, an organization that is jointly under the Academy of Sciences and the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. He worked for many years at the Academy's center in Novosibirsk, where Stanislav Menshikov was one of his colleagues. In April, Granberg chaired the conference held in Moscow on Megaprojects of Russia's East: An Intercontinental Multimodal Transport Link Across the Bering Strait (see EIR of May 4, 2007). Academician Granberg offered this toast at the May 16 banquet.
Academician Granberg: Stanislav Mikhailovich was never my teacher or my boss. From the very beginning, it seemed to me that we could become friends, despite the not insubstantial difference in our ages. I can say definitively, that my contact with Stanislav Mikhailovich made an impact of unique importance on my life. This was the case, both because his works were so profound and timely, but perhaps even more so, because of his qualities as a human being.
Back then, in the 1970s, he became, for me, the first truly free person. From how he looked at the world, and how he comported himself, it was clear to me, that people who didn't understand Stanislav would miss a lot.
We worked together for many years, in Novosibirsk, but not only there. I get asked, "Are you still working in Novosibirsk?" But, Stanislav did not leave me behind in Novosibirsk. No, we also worked together in Moscow, and in other places. And I really lucked out, in that regard.
In science, Menshikov is already immortal. Actually, Stanislav could have contributed even more to science and society, had that been wanted. After Menshikov was recalled from the United Nations, the system of long-range forecasting there went into decline. Wassily Leontieff, of course, was a very successful person, who won the Nobel Prize. But the work he did together with Stanislav, and under his guidance, could not be replicated, and it proved impossible to rise to that peak again.
As for Russia, I won't say more. We lost out, because Stanislav Mikhailovich's recommendations were not heeded 20 or 30 years ago, or 10 years ago. He saw so much, and so clearly! And it's good that it's being picked up now by politicians, but that is far from the full potential of Stanislav Mikhailovich.
Today, I encountered some surprising and interesting information. It is well known, that Stanislav Menshikov is a major expert on long waves, and he has worked on this together with Larissa [Klimenko-Menshikova]. And one of those long waves has reached me, today.
Here's the story: Three weeks ago, there was a conference in Moscow on one of the megaprojects, namely, the construction of an intercontinental route, from Eurasia to America across the Bering Strait. This is a very old idea, to link the continents, and the entire rail network of the world. Sooner or later, this project is going to be built! Many generations have dreamed about implementing this project, and this conference took place, three weeks ago, with the active participation of our government, and of [regional] governors, and the idea gained support.
One of the speakers at that conference was Mr. [Jonathan] Tennenbaum, who was introduced as a representative of Mr. LaRouche. Three weeks passed, and here is Mr. LaRouche. And there has been an opportunity to discuss what actually needs to be done, to push this project ahead. These are very encouraging views! This road will be built!
Thus, you have already taken part in this project. By the year 2027, according to the schedule, it will have been completed. Maybe just a bit of the tunnel will remain to be built, across the Bering Strait. It's only 100 km.
I hope to be able to have some influence on the design of this crossing. And we'll try to name the station closest to the Bering Strait tunnel on the Russian side, either "Stanislav" or "Menshikov"! Yesterday, with your forecasts, we were talking about a lot of numbers, but I'm talking about a living, breathing station, of national importance, and named for you.
Larissa Klimenko-Menshikova: And on the American side, there will be a station named after LaRouche!
