The interview (spruiking a new book or not), indeed the whole programme is interesting in its own right, but this seemed fascinating.
Put briefly it goes like this...
During the cold war it was important for western democracies to hold fast to the "liberal' image to oppose the centralised control of the eastern bloc.
Gorbachev wanted to protect the state, but refused and positively denied Honniger and Ceaucescu support for a violent put down of popular uprisings in Hungary.
This acceptance of the people lead directly to the famous scenes of people physically demolishing the WALL.
As a small aside, a thumbs up to whoever told the soldiers on the ground to NOT interfere.
Once the iron curtain came down, the muzzles were off and the more rabidly wingerish tendency was unchained within the heart(land) of America.
Centralised corporate control became rampant and the newspeak of the lobbyists was retained by unfathomable financing from hazy organisations of the extreme right.
This lead directly to both the lurch to the right of the American "centre" and the opportunity for people like (are there others? ;-)))) Palin to achieve some success.
Well... it does seem to have internal cohesion doesn't it?
America no longer feels like it needs to add "Liberal" tod emocracy in the traditional description of western countries and in fact a certain grouping here continue to decry that "democracy" has no place within the USA.
That country has clearly lurched right and is only now pausing for breath, leaving many aghast at what has become of their beloved homeland, whilst the forces of unaccountable control (ie "small" government) parrot their lines like good little apparatchiks.
Any opinions on this curiously appropriate analysis?
The link below also gives you the weird but wonderful story of how the power behind the setting up of the UN was a racist South African and how that was immediately overturned by Nehru.
All good weekend listening I think.
I haven't listened to this show for a while and I immediately felt I had been missing out.
