The prospect of losing the power of empire brings out fear which can lead to police states. Or it can be seen as an opportunity for significant improvement. On this show, Matt Wehmeier, who spent recent years in the former East Germany, sheds light on why the Iron Curtain fell and what came after. The Wall was seen as stopping fascism. Not everyone was anti-socialist.  As Wehmeier explains, a well trained and armed police force can’t always stop the political dam from breaking. Our exit from the “graveyard of empires” (Afghanistan) presents an opportunity for a new beginning.