On Wed, Dec 18, 2024 at 11:53 AM National Security Archive <nsarc...@gwu.edu> wrote:
> Embassy dissent argued against U.S. push for radical economic reform. Top > political officer predicted U.S. focus on markets over democratic > institution-building would turn Russia anti-American and > “adversarial”. National Security Archive wins release of long-withheld > cable through FOIA > lawsuit > > > > > > > The Long Telegram of the 1990s: “Whose Russia Is It Anyway? Toward a > Policy of Benign Respect” > > <https://default.salsalabs.org/Ta15c144f-11cf-4a54-bb41-8c3c8eaebc1f/12238b38-d371-4bc9-b2b2-ab5a3bdb144f> > Embassy dissent argued against U.S. push for radical economic reform Top > political officer predicted U.S. focus on markets over democratic > institution-building would turn Russia anti-American and “adversarial” > National > Security Archive wins release of long-withheld cable through FOIA lawsuit > > *Washington, D.C., December 18, 2024* – A now-legendary but long-secret > 70-paragraph telegram written by the top political analyst at the U.S. > Embassy in Moscow in March 1994, E. Wayne Merry, criticizing the American > policy focus on radical economic reform in Russia, was published in full > today for the first time by the National Security Archive. > > Merry could not get the critical message cleared for government-wide > distribution at the time in 1994 because of Treasury objections (“It would > give Larry Summers a heart attack”) and ultimately resorted to the Dissent > Channel instead, according to Merry’s retrospective commentary, which was > also published today by the Archive together with the actual “long > telegram” and other declassified documents. > > Reminiscent of George Kennan’s Long Telegram of 1946 in the depth and > scope of its analysis of Russian realities and almost as prescient in its > prophecies, the Merry cable only reached the public domain as the result of > a National Security Archive lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act > (FOIA). The State Department denied a copy to Merry himself, claiming > public release of dissent messages would provide the wrong incentive for > future Foreign Service Officers. > > Titled provocatively “Whose Russia Is It Anyway? Toward a Policy of Benign > Respect,” the Merry long telegram argued that radical market reform was the > wrong economic prescription for Russia, with its history of statist > direction of the economy, uncertainty of political transition and extreme > challenges of geography and climate. The message described “shock therapy” > as so visibly Washington’s program that the devastating austerity already > evident in 1994 was blamed on the U.S., and the long-term consequences > would “recreate an adversarial relationship between Russia and the West.” > Plus, Merry warned, “we will also fail on the economic front.” > READ THE DOCUMENTS > <https://default.salsalabs.org/T5c942a4e-37fe-4c1b-9214-87183fbca6ac/12238b38-d371-4bc9-b2b2-ab5a3bdb144f> > > > > THE NATIONAL SECURITY ARCHIVE is an independent non-governmental research > institute and library located at The George Washington University in > Washington, D.C. The Archive collects and publishes declassified documents > acquired through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A tax-exempt public > charity, the Archive receives no U.S. government funding; its budget is > supported by publication royalties and donations from foundations and > individuals. > > PRIVACY NOTICE The National Security Archive does not and will never share > the names or e-mail addresses of its subscribers with any other > organization. Once a year, we will write you and ask for your financial > support. We may also ask you for your ideas for Freedom of Information > requests, documentation projects, or other issues that the Archive should > take on. We would welcome your input, and any information you care to share > with us about your special interests. But we do not sell or rent any > information about subscribers to any other party. > > DONATE NOW > <https://default.salsalabs.org/T24011f94-b457-4e87-bf23-727320a37de5/12238b38-d371-4bc9-b2b2-ab5a3bdb144f> > > National Security Archive > Suite 700, Gelman Library > 2130 H Street, NW > Washington > District of Columbia, 20037 > 202-994-7000 > nsarc...@gwu.edu > <https://www.facebook.com/NSArchive> > <https://twitter.com/intent/follow?screen_name=NSArchive> > <https://www.youtube.com/user/nsarchive?sub_confirmation=1> > > Having trouble viewing this email? 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