Communism failed, capitalism is still far from perfection, City of the Sun is still utopian. What is left is to believe in Atlantis, where ideal social-economic relations fit to everyone existed, if Plato is to be believed.New states that emerged on the brink of 20th-21st centuries show natural intent to build their own "happiness models". Some copy from neighbors, others follow cutting-edge theories, and some fall back upon help from stronger states.
Belarus is also in search for prosperity and seems to have some results already. Recent years positive progress has been observed virtually in all directions. Peculiar Belarusian development pattern raised interest over the world. Famous Swedish economist Ollin Glennson characterized it as follows: "To my mind, Belarusian social-economic system can be described as combination of cooperative experience of agricultural and forest economy of Sweden, direct and indirect economy management as in China and Vietnam, and East European experience of converging life and labor conditions of rural and urban areas."
Russian reporters show vivid interest to Belarusian economy construction, too. They come to Belarus more often and write deeper reports now. This is confirmed by publications in Russian mass media.
For example, Aleksei Chichkin, observer of supplement to "Literaturnaya Gazeta", notes that "Belarus publicly speaks of its problems as well as of ways and terms for their solutions." He adds that our country uses a combined technology of social-economy policy, and gives seven positive results of this model: agriculture development, high level of production, stable financial system, stimulation role of the state, peace and agreement between nations and religions and many other.
"Selskaya Zhyzn" newspaper places its interest in one of Belarusian novelties — agrotowns. Inna Ganenko, columnist to the newspaper, saw with her own eyes that these plans were real and imposed question: "Why shouldn′t we (Russia) try this?"
And the most original was a reporter of "Sovetskaya Rossia" who was impressed by Belarusian reality and named his huge article "Atlantis over the Neman".
Viktor Lovgach
