What to Make of Divisions in the West

Lenin and Kautsky once debated the future of imperialism. Kautsky saw a trend toward a global ruling class. Lenin argued that despite such tendencies, inter-imperialist rivalries would prevent the emergence of global ruling class.

The so-called West was never as homogenous as the cold warriors pretended. There were asymmetrical perceptions of the threat posed by the Soviet Union until its dying days. Only now do the United States and Europe contemplate a free-trade pact.