1. How much are David M. Kotz and Virginia Postrel in agreement over the effects of the “shock therapy” programs Russia enacted with Western assistance and guidance? What is the crux of their differing views on these programs? What alternative policies do Kotz and Postrel propose?
2. David Hoffman, Gary T. Dempsey, and Aaron Lukas all utilize anecdotes about the personal experiences of themselves and of Russians in their articles about crime and corruption in Russia. What purposes do such anecdotes perform, in your view? Do they lend a special credence to the authors’ respective arguments? Explain.
3. Murray Feshbach argues that people who analyze Russia’s problems must take into consideration fundamental demographic realities about its shrinking population. Can you conceive how Russia’s health problems might affect the nation’s long-term military, economic, and geopolitical status? Explain.