Does the Soviet Union Exist?  

The specter of civil war is often raised in prognostications about the future of the Soviet Union, the great guessing game of the late twentieth century. When asked about the possibility, Andrei Sakharov could only gasp and quote Pushkin: “God …



The Writing on the Wall  

What strikes you first, and shocks you, is that no one knows how to work. In the land of the workers, people are at best semiliterate in labor. They work reluctantly, irritably, listlessly. Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow is the gateway …



The Last Jew in Poland  

Aron Aronson, 84 years old, was dozing in his armchair, dreaming of a slice of herring. He was aware that the herring wasn’t real but it was better than dreaming of standing in line or of being hit on the …



Soviet Dissidents & Balance of Power  

A t first it appeared that we in the West were once again fated to watch helplessly as the media relayed reports of another East European tragedy. Amalrik’s sentence was doubled, Medvedev’s passport revoked while he was in England, Solzhenitsyn …



When to Leave the Country  

A Study of George Grosz My question is simple: is it possible for a man to know if his society is heading for a disaster he would just as soon avoid? The history of the 20th century shows this to …