ABSTRACT
For me, one of the most exciting moments in the fall of the Communist dictatorships in Eastern Europe was the downfall of President Ceauçescu of Romania. Expert political commentators had been sure that, even though other Communist regimes had fallen, Romania would resist. The people had been too repressed for opposition to develop. In the end, Romania collapsed the quickest. Someone booed Ceauçescu at a public rally. The crowd took up the cry. Ceauçescu visibly flinched and had lost control. He lost power shortly after that. The power of the status quo is brittle everywhere. Even a small crack can bring the edifice down.
