ABSTRACT
While perhaps on purely formal criteria this may be argued, supported by the eastward expansion of the European Union in 2004, there are many legacies, both physical and mental, that continue to reflect the particular nature of the communist period. Pridham and Âgh (2001), referring to the Hungarian experience, point here to the necessity, as they see it, of distinguishing between the actual transition period, with its mixed economy and transformation recession, and the subsequent period of consolidation which is less ‘messy’. In addition, most of the debate and observations have been focused on Europe and Russia (as the only really internationally visible successor to the demised Soviet Union). But there have been other experiences with ‘communism’ too, and thus other changes since. One obvious such ‘other’ example is China. While officially still adhering to the communist teachings of Mao Zedong, there are fundamental changes taking place under the mantle of communist doctrine: the conquering of the global market with products ‘made in China’. Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Shanghai have become glittering symbols of the ‘new’ international and capitalist-minded China, although this picture may be rather unrepresentative of the rest of the country. Cuba is another cause célèbre of the Cold War, having developed its own version of
communism in the backyard of the United States. This includes distinct postcolonial overtones, and these have been combined with a clearly nationalist agenda over the last decade or so. Cuba sits at the intersection between ‘north-south’ and ‘east-west’ global relationships.
