I was on study leave in late 1989 when the Soviet satellite states in eastern Europe fell like dominoes, so I had the opportunity to follow events closely. I was amazed at the speed of the great unravelling. Within two years the USSR disintegrated. The liberal democracies had triumphed in the Cold War. The euphoria in the West was immense. To many observers liberal democracy was destined to become the dominant form of government in the world, albeit with…..
