Russianspeak

In the collapse of the Soviet Union, which has left Russia suspended between communism and democracy, words become elastic. Either they stand for something that has yet to exist, or their meaning is bent to meet the objectives of warring political factions. Here is a short guide to Russia's propaganda campaign:

-- CONSTITUTION: A relic not worth defending. The 150 legislators who barricaded themselves in Moscow's White House last week claimed to be fighting against "Yeltsin's anticonstitutional regime." But the Constitution dates back to 1978 and was conceived when "parliament" was little more than a rubber stamp. The document fails to...

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