Abstract:
‘Democracy’ has been used as ubersignifier of what makes a regime either legitimate or in need of reform since the fall of the Berlin Wall heralded the end of the Cold War in 1989. It was a bumper year for democratic symbolism – not just the Berlin Wall, but the crushing of the Chinese student movement for democracy, which had so excited Western observers. The fall of the Wall was celebrated, whether as triumph for democratic freedom or the opening up of new markets for global capital. The world watched in horror as the tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square. Prime Minister Hawke shed tears for the crushed hopes and bodies of Beijing students and offered permanent refuge to Chinese students currently studying in Australia – possibly the last time Australia actively welcomed anyone apart from investors and business migrants.
Details / PDF:
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