
There have been two periods of history since the end of World War II. The second period is now ending, and the third is yet to be seen. Each period defied our expectations.
During the Cold War we were afraid of World War III and nuclear annihilation. My parents hid underneath their school desks in the 1950s in case the Soviets attacked. In the ’80s my friends and I watched Red Dawn and Amerika. Yet, the Cold War ended with a whimper rather than a bang. Communism, it turns out, is not sustainable.