The Tsars Come Out

A gloomy prognosis for Russian freedom.

Cathy Young from the January 2006 issue

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Answering a question about the future of democracy in Russia, Shevtsova said: "To add some optimism to my conclusions, I've got my favorite joke that, it seems to me, reflects the ambiguity of our democratic movement.

A sick man is picked up by an ambulance. He asks the doctor, 'Doctor, where are you taking me?' The doctor replies, 'To the morgue.' The man says, 'But I'm not dead yet!' The doctor says, 'But we're not there yet.'"

If this is Russian-style optimism, I'd hate to see what the pessimism looks like.�