When I think about where we stand now, 10 years on, I think the East and West are dangerously at odds with each other, more so than at any time since the fall of the Wall.
From the wounds of the region's failed economy to Russia's strong movement toward nationalism, there is a powerful sense of rejecting the West that is inherent in regaining a sense of pride and independence. This has made the West very skeptical. However the West, in many respects, exploited the transition economically prior to guiding the East toward a civil society. I believe that makes for a very explosive situation.
I am very concerned about where this will take us over the next years, and I am not very optimistic, although I would prefer to be.
Unless both Eastern and Western governments start looking for social solutions to build on instead of looking to place blame, we may end up with a disaster greater than we can imagine. posted by stbalbach at 4:48 PM on January 18, 2004
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posted by thebabelfish at 1:13 PM on January 18, 2004