Ever since 1985, when Mikhail Gorbachev first used the term glasnost to refer to the new openness that he hoped would invigorate Soviet society, the policy has had its high-level detractors. One of the most outspoken critics has been Yegor Ligachev, the second-ranking Communist Party leader in the Politburo, who has followed up nearly every official nod toward openness with an admonition of restraint.
So there was little surprise last week when reports surfaced in the West that Ligachev had publicly attacked glasnost yet again. According to the New York Times, Ligachev, 66, made a stinging speech at a recent gathering...
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