Soviet studies in the U.S. are in an alarming decline
The U.S.S.R.'s invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 surprised most U.S. Kremlin-watchers. So did Soviet inactivity during the recent war in Lebanon. After Leonid Brezhnev's death two weeks ago, American Kremlinologists were still suggesting the names of his potential successors when Yuri Andropov was chosen.
To be sure, the inner workings of the Politburo have always been obscure to outsiders, but the uncertainty about Andropov underscores the current lack of American expertise on the Soviet Union. Even the Central Intelligence Agency admits that it is having trouble providing the kind of analysis needed...
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