Misperception and Reality
Fred Eidlin is a Professor of Political Science. He was on the faculty of the University of Guelph (Canada) for 38 years, and currently lectures at Charles University and the University of Life Sciences in Prague, and at several universities in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Latvia. He is interested in foundational problems of the social sciences, especially where inquiry runs into difficulties, and in political developments in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. DESCRIPTION: Many mistakes result from faulty assumptions and faulty perception. Such mistakes can sometimes be avoided by paying more attention to what is taken for granted. This is true, not only for ordinary people in their everyday lives, but also for governmental decision making, and even the advanced natural sciences. I have always been fascinated by such mistakes, and dogmatic adherence to flawed beliefs, even at the heights of government and in the advanced natural sciences. The study of Russia and other post-Soviet republics is fraught with misperception and flawed assumptions.
New entries
Comment on Interview with Alena Ledeneva http://www.rferl.org/content/interview-russia-alena-ledeneva-sistema/24944910.html Ledeneva is one of the few to have confronted the reality that in order to reform Russia and the other post-Soviet…
Russia's leaders have long recognized a need for competitive politics. They tried twice, in 1995 and in 2006, to create a two-party system from above. Most observers among those who even took note of these attempts ridiculed them. Both times…
Mikhail Gorbachev was naive. Boris Yeltsin was obsessed by his power struggle with Gorbachev. As a result, Soviet citizens who overnight, without their consent found themselves living in foreign countries, were left without protection of…
As events in Syria have been unfolding, a remark made several years ago by King Abdullah of Jordan sticks in my mind. Abdullah, an intelligent, enlightened monarch like his father King Hussein, was explaining why he was optimistic about the future of…
Poll conducted
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In your opinion, what are the US long-term goals for Russia?
U.S. wants to establish partnership relations with Russia on condition that it meets the U.S. requirements 33 (31%) U.S. wants to deter Russia’s military and political activity 30 (28%) U.S. wants to dissolve Russia 24 (22%) U.S. wants to establish alliance relations with Russia under the US conditions to rival China 21 (19%)
