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Los Angeles Times   Monday, October 25, 1999
Letters to the Editor
 
Re: "Greasy Palms Are Rampant in Russia" (Oct. 20).
 
     When I was a journalist in Soviet Russia a decade ago, the expose of the day was on Moscow's "black marketeer," a disparaging term that has since evolved into the more palatable "entrepreneur" as Western ideologies make their mark.
     And now we look at the palm-greasing side of life in Eastern Europe. As the economies there find more legitimized market structures and rate plans, the word "bribery" will likely morph into more acceptable terms of fees, dues, gratuities, fines, fares, campaign contributions, etc. It's a matter of semantics. One way or another we all pay the piper.

     STEVEN R. VAN HOOK
     Kiev, Ukraine

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