Ideology After the Fall of Communism

This book suffers from an overemphasis on theory at the expense of contemporary examples. Collins, senior lecturer in the University of Cape Town's department of political studies, writes in a dry style as he explores the idea that the fall of Communism indicates the historical triumph of liberal democracy. Collins accepts the theoretical supremacy of democracy and predicts, somewhat debatably, its eventual spread to the Middle East and other authoritarian regions. He then sketches the theoretical interplay between democracy and liberalism. He describes how capitalism has evolved into a form of non-revolutionary ``social-democratism.'' Collins's argument that ``nationalism is likely to become increasingly enfeebled'' after Communism seems belied by recent events in Bosnia. He argues more cogently that the realm of international relations is the greatest challenge facing liberal democracy: the United Nations, he predicts, will help maintain a rich-poor version of global apartheid. Liberal democrats, Collins notes, are united mostly by what they oppose; he finds this ``refusal to specify utopia'' ultimately an asset. (Sept.)