LMD A gaslight flame. cc Nan Palmero
In English, ‘to gaslight’ is a transitive verb. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as the ‘psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories’. If you gaslight an individual, you can expect a furious reaction when they figure it out. When you gaslight millions of people about their perception of a massive political and economic upheaval, you can expect much worse.
It began 35 years ago, in November 1989, when jubilant crowds climbed a Berlin Wall rendered suddenly irrelevant. From Poland to Bulgaria, communist regimes toppled. Formerly autocratic states held free and fair elections. And in December 1991, the Soviet flag flew for the last time above the Kremlin. The cold war was coming to an unexpected end: it was a time of great optimism for a more prosperous future.
TEXT en PdF: RFA 35 años
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