ABSTRACT
The discussion of the existing central Soviet state by ethnic minorities and citizens of non-Russian republics, and also the consciousness of cultural and religious differences in contrast to an ordained Soviet citizenship is no longer suppressed as subversive. A closer look at the technological and societal dynamics of the capitalist world deepens doubts on the capacities of the Soviet system to catch up or even find the means to heal itself. The pressure toward modernization of economic, societal, and technological structures arising from the Soviet political reformers' own desire to be a great power and the comparison of such structures with the rest of the world has provided additional material for domestic political debate. However, operational concepts and precise timetables are lacking for all practical questions of economic reform policy, that is, the transition from the old system to a new one.
