Prof. Guriev's article is an example of the best at Pro-Syn - even those of us who are familiar with his topic can gain perspective from his collected observations.



To add to his point, let me remark that Boris Yeltsin first came to international attention as a figure in Moscow "local" politics. Now, even as a fragmented empire, Moscow looms over most of Asia.



The 20th century was dominated by conflicts between Germany, Russia, and America. Not only in wars, but also in every art, culture and science. Other nations had isolated geniuses, but these were the countries with "critical mass" - pun intended.



Russia now seems to be a puzzle for political science. Why is the tail wagging the dog?