BBC Online: the Fall of Communism

[Ross Barlow]

BBC’s online news has an ongoing series of articles and features called “1989: Europe’s Revolution.” It covers the fall of European communism 20 years ago, and it adds articles as milestone anniversaries of that historic year come up.

Here is the link to a map tracking communism’s fall between the years 1989 and 1991.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7972232.stm

Links on this page’s right side lead to other articles in the series.

The feature linked below describes how, 20 years ago this month, the reformers in Hungary’s Communist Party started to tentatively remove the barbed wire on the border separating Hungary from Austria. By doing so, the first crack in the Iron Curtain was made, and by autumn of that year all border restrictions were removed by Hungary, allowing East Germans to leave communist Europe by crossing into Austria by the tens of thousands. They had to first go from East Germany through Czechoslovakia to Hungary, then to Austria and from there to West Germany. The floodgates were opened, and the world could see without doubts which direction people chose to migrate when the wire was removed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8036685.stm

-Ross Barlow.

[Alfonso Jones]

BBC’s online news has an ongoing series of articles and features called “1989: Europe’s Revolution.” It covers the fall of European communism 20 years ago, and it adds articles as milestone anniversaries of that historic year come up.

Here is the link to a map tracking communism’s fall between the years 1989 and 1991.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7972232.stm

Links on this page’s right side lead to other articles in the series.

The feature linked below describes how, 20 years ago this month, the reformers in Hungary’s Communist Party started to tentatively remove the barbed wire on the border separating Hungary from Austria. By doing so, the first crack in the Iron Curtain was made, and by autumn of that year all border restrictions were removed by Hungary, allowing East Germans to leave communist Europe by crossing into Austria by the tens of thousands. They had to first go from East Germany through Czechoslovakia to Hungary, then to Austria and from there to West Germany. The floodgates were opened, and the world could see without doubts which direction people chose to migrate when the wire was removed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8036685.stm

-Ross Barlow.

Ross -

That series of maps showing the fall of the Soviet Empire is a beautiful illustration.

I don't spend a lot of time on regrets, but on this list I don't find it out of place to say that I regard it as regretful that Rand didn't get to see this process.

Bill P

[Selene]

Ross:

Thank you. It is perfect for the way I persuade folks.

And yes Bill, I "wish" that she could have seen it.

Lol. Geez, being an individualist and objectivist, we can't look up [or down] and say well she is

smiling down on us, cigarette smoking at the end of that holder, with that peculiar glow from her

eyes and that somewhat crooked smile.

However, I think she envisioned with certainty that that map would exist in the future.

What she may not have envisioned is how disorganized this "movement" still is.

Great posts guys!

Adam

[Alfonso Jones]

Ross:

Thank you. It is perfect for the way I persuade folks.

And yes Bill, I "wish" that she could have seen it.

Lol. Geez, being an individualist and objectivist, we can't look up [or down] and say well she is

smiling down on us, cigarette smoking at the end of that holder, with that peculiar glow from her

eyes and that somewhat crooked smile.

However, I think she envisioned with certainty that that map would exist in the future.

What she may not have envisioned is how disorganized this "movement" still is.

Great posts guys!

Adam

Adam -

This reminds me of the last two paragraphs in Passion of Ayn Rand (page 404) prior to the epilogue:

"I stood by the weeping willow and I thought how fitting it would be if the legends of Valhalla were true. Ayn would travel to the paradise of the brave, the paradise assigned to heroes slain in battle. Eight guards would rise to salute her and to escort her on her new journey. But they would not be the guards of the legends. They would be Cyrus, and Enjolras, and Leo, and Frank, and Howard Roark and Hank Rearden and Francisco d'Anconia and John Galt. Ayn had fought for Valhalla - for Atlantis - all of her life, and now she would enter its gates."

"Weeping, I remembered what she had said at the conclusion of the interviews I had done with her in 1961. 'It's a benevolent universe, and I love it, and any struggle was worth it. Struggle or unhappiness are so enormously unimportant. I don't regret a minute of my life.'"

Good stuff.

Bill P

[galtgulch]

Ross:

Thank you. It is perfect for the way I persuade folks.

And yes Bill, I "wish" that she could have seen it.

Lol. Geez, being an individualist and objectivist, we can't look up [or down] and say well she is

smiling down on us, cigarette smoking at the end of that holder, with that peculiar glow from her

eyes and that somewhat crooked smile.

However, I think she envisioned with certainty that that map would exist in the future.

What she may not have envisioned is how disorganized this "movement" still is.

Great posts guys!

Adam

Adam,

There is certainly a division of labor involved in our "movement!" So far it is heartening to see so many think tanks, websites, books and magazines doing their part to enlighten the populace, although my sense is that all are preaching to the choir. There is a modicum of outreach, booths at fairs by the Advocates for Self Government and the like.

We remain outside the mainstream as a kind of eddy current struggling against the tide but there is a modicum of representation by a literal handful of doctorates who teach in various colleges and universities. Many of them were nurtured by the Institute for Humane Studies and Reason Foundation and CATO, with the Ayn Rand Institute involved as well with its graduate program.

All of these endeavors are necessary to enable ordinary citizens to learn what they need to know if we are to ever succeed.

In the meantime the Campaign For Liberty grows and is now over 151810 and growing. If they keep growing and do run candidates who are credible for Congressional seats in elections from now on, especially if they do so within the two major parties and perhaps as independents as well, they may just be the most organized pro freedom organizations yet. Debates will or may rage among them about inconsistencies.

I think we would be wise to get involved to some extent to help by befriending them personally so they are more open to listening in the areas where they are misguided.

I always find stories about individuals struggle for freedom to be enjoyable and enlightening. Revealing that the theory of Communism lost its appeal but those in power fought to keep their positions.

gulch

[Selene]

Bill:

Yes beautiful section. I always liked the Viking funeral from Beau Geste - Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, the Music Man dude and of course Brian Donlevy as the brutal Major Markov.

The deceased hero/heroine would be placed on the pyre on the boat and pushed out to the end of the Earth to I believe Valhalla also[??]. A key was to have a dog at the feet of the deceased. In Beau Geste [gallant deed] it was Markov at the feet of Gary Cooper.

Who would be the proper dog to put at Ayn's feet hmmmm.....?

Gulch:

Speaking of preaching to the choir...

I liked what you did with your co-workers. I, am working with my local town on tax reduction. The major candidates have been talking about tax-stabilization. I started a really positively heated debate at the candidates night, by stating that no candidate who was in favor of stabilization would get our votes.

Reduction is the prime directive from your present or future constituents - these candidates began to spin like tops trying to effectively explain why they were not focused on reduction, but only thought about stabilization.

Just a simple paradigm shift asked properly and simply changed this whole local election two weeks ago.

Adam