Is there any doubt that Francis Fukuyama's end-of-history thesis has been reduced to a bloody pulp? His forecast of the universal adoption of democracy and free markets after the fall of the Soviet Union now ranks somewhere between "peace in our time" and "nothing will ever become of the Beatles."
Not only do we have to contend with another murderous and ideological menace, but old ones have a way of popping up when they're least welcome:
In the speech, Mr. Kramer said that recent Kremlin actions “reflect negative trends on human rights and democracy inside Russia itself,” and that “suppression of genuine opposition, abridgement of the right to protest, constriction of civil society and the decline of media freedom are all serious setbacks.”
“A bumper sticker of our Russia policy,” Mr. Kramer said, would be to “cooperate wherever we can; push back whenever we have to.” An advance copy of the speech was provided by an administration official who wanted to make sure Mr. Kramer’s remarks received broad attention.
The real bumper sticker is: "10 minutes to cold war again."