ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War in 1989 and its impact on international politics unleashed a sea of optimism among observers about the future of the so-called new world order. The bold assertion that the ‘end of history’ was finally on us underscores the breadth and depth of this thinking.1 In this view, the disintegration of the Soviet empire marked the triumph of liberal democracy over socialism, two dominant political ideologies that had shaped the course of international politics for the better part of the last century. The spread of liberal democracy, it was argued, had brought about an historic opportunity for the once marginalized to play a constructive role in redefining their political future. The central element of this argument was clear: political and economic liberalization, based on free-market principles, were irreversible processes that could no longer be manipulated or controlled by elites who once enjoyed an entrenched position in society.
