Monday, November 09, 2009

Twenty years later: Why the Berlin Wall fell:Swaminomics:S A Aiyar's blog-The Times Of India

Perfect, just perfect! 

 

Twenty years later: Why the Berlin Wall fell:Swaminomics:S A Aiyar's blog-The Times Of India

Twenty years later: Why the Berlin Wall fell S A Aiyar Sunday October 25, 2009

We are approaching the 20th anniversary of the fall of Communism. This comprehensively refuted the Communist claim to represent the people. Yet, the claim continues, sometimes dazzling a new generation of youngsters with no inkling of why the Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989.

My favorite paragraph:

Communists and socialists everywhere, including in India, were dismayed. They could not understand why East Germans blessed with income equality, free social welfare and full employment should flee to the highly unequal West, which bristled with unemployment and social perils. An answer came in a letter to a newspaper editor.

‘‘My daughter’s hamster (a pet white mouse) has food, water, shelter and even medical care, and a cage full of fun curly tubes. The hamster responds by constantly trying to chew his way to freedom. I think we all understand what freedom is, and it is not a gilded cage.’’

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