May 2, 2014–I was at Business Week when the Soviet Union collapsed and we had intense arguments about whether the former Soviets could simply go “cold turkey” and transform themselves into a capitalist-style democracy overnight. Having had experience living in one Communist country, namely China, I knew that was impossible. But then came Francis Fukuyama with his 1992 book, “The End of History and the Last Man.” In it, he proclaimed that Western civic ideals had prevailed in the entire world. There would no longer be geopolitical contests in the world because we had won. The triumphalists among us celebrated. I thought it was poppycock.
Time has told. It was, in fact, nonsense. Consider that Vladimir Putin is once again building the former Soviet Empire by seizing Crimea and sending his goons into Ukraine. The Germans, hounded by their own history, deny that any of it is happening. Elsewhere the Chinese are flexing their economic and military power to put pressure on Japan, the Philippines and other neighbors, and now 20 years after we withdrew from our military bases in the Philippines, we’re going back in. The Japanese are flirting with a reversion to the right-wing ideology that helped plant the seeds of the Pacific War. In India, the Hindu fanatics in the BJP are about to win an election and take national power, which could set off a major confrontation with the more than 100 million Muslims who live in India.
For its part, America seems to be battling the forces of isolationism once again. For good reason. We are tired of pointless wars that were fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
So Professor Fukuyama, please explain how the triumph of Western liberalism has petered out. Your public wants to know.
