Fathoming the Free World

One day last July my wife Tanya and I were discussing our latest everyday problems. I don’t know why we chose the lobby of the Associated Press building as the site for our debate, but suddenly a young man in a Moscow-style suit approached us, smiled politely and said:

“How nice it is in the middle of New York to hear such pure Russian swearing. Do you by any chance work for TASS [Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union]?”

“No, I replied, “we’re ...