Liberal ideologues have been forced to turn to the language of Soviet communism. The liberals speak of the difficulties of the transition period, of the insufficiently consistent implementation of reform policies, of specific mistakes and, finally, of resistance and sabotage by hostile forces. This is not simply because all the ideologues of capitalism in Russia, as in most other East European countries, studied in Communist Party schools. Behind this is their impotence in the face of uncomprehended mechanisms of history, along with an inability and unwillingness to give clear answers. Against this background, the debate about the outcome of the Russian Revolution is unfolding anew.
Uncertainty means that people are forced continually to glance back.
The examination of the past conceals a fear of the future. The discussion is going in circles. People are confronted by the paradox that in order to make sense of the past it is necessary first to gain a better understanding of the present. The collapse of the Soviet system was not only a fatal blow to the communist movement. The damage suffered by social democracy was not less, and in a certain sense was even more.