The Collapse of Liberalism

The years 1989-1991 mark a decisive turning-point in contemporary history. On that almost everyone seems to agree. But turning from what to what? 1989 is the year of the end of the so-called Communisms in Eastern Europe, and 1991 marks it for the erstwhile USSR. The years 1990-91 are the immediate time boundaries as well of the so-called Persian Gulf war. The two events, intimately linked, are nonetheless entirely distinct in character. The end of the Communisms marks the end of an era. The Persian Gulf war marks the beginning of an era. The one closes out; the other opens out. The one calls for reevaluation; the other for evaluation. The one is the story of hopes deceived; the other of fears still unfulfilled. Yet, as Braudel reminds us, 'events are dust', even big events. Events make no sense unless we can insert them in the rhythms of the conjunctures and the trends of the longue duree. But that is less easy to do than it sounds, since we must then decide which conjunctures and which structures are most relevant