Abstract: | Rapidly changing estimates on the Soviet régime's ability to survive show how difficult it is for American Sovietologists to grasp what is going on.The paper orginated from a series of informal debates and lunchtable conversations held at the Russian Research Center of Harvard University, over the future of the Soviet regime, around the time of its 50th anniversay. The essay was originally presented as a Russian Research Center Seminar paper on March 20, 1970. The author wishes to express his thanks to Professor Richard Pipes, Director of the Center, for permission to reproduce most of the content of the paper. |