.. how could he have been such a destructive c*** ..

In general I consider him a humane character from various interviews I've seen of him these days. In one of the interviews, I think it was on the Duran, he said what happened (in case you haven't read my scribble above). He was the chief advisor to Polish government on the transition of their socialist central planning economy to capitalism. It required having a substantial loan to smooth things over. Apparently it worked. When advising the USSR he used the same formula except that he was told bu US that the loan was not forthcoming, no reason given. Obviously the septic vultures were a-gathering and the rest is history. I believe him.