Pity the poor Russia expert. We’re like the old Maytag repairman, sitting in our forgotten offices, hoping someone will need our help.
But when our experience is called upon, it’s usually not good news. No one seeks out a grizzled old veteran of the theory wars to solve a Dostoevsky emergency. Pundits and politicians don’t look to us for help with the latest Tolstoy crisis.
Worst of all, though, is when Russia is relevant because its recent history suggests parallels to American current events. Like so many other Western countries, the United States is caught up in …read more
Source: The Huffington Post
