ABSTRACT
Although my approach is similar to Professor Garthoff's distinction between three schools of Soviet perception, it is my impression that we have to concede a growing polarization in the perception of Soviet development at the cost of a middle-of-the-road position. I have observed this polarization in discussions at the Federal Institute for Soviet and International Studies as well as in other encounters and in public opinion, particularly in Germany. The reason for this polarization, I think, is that the consequences drawn from different assessments of Soviet development have become the main issue. These discussions ultimately point to the question: »Shall we support Gorbachev's course, or shall we wait and see?« And the final consequences are certainly closely connected with the interpretation and the question of what is going on in the Soviet Union, what is the essence of perestroika.
