Changes in Russia and the American Right

The events set off by Mikhail Gorbachev were welcomed by some and caused vexation to others. Among the latter were politicians, journalists, and scholars for whom the external fixity of communism was something of an article of faith. Gorbachev’s reforms, if genuine and long-lasting, would call into question their entire worldview —and that of course can be rather upsetting.

The Gorbachev challenge was most acute for the adherents of the “Evil Empire” theory. It was ...