Martin Jacques is a British academic and political analyst who has written a great deal about globalization and China. He is renowned for his understanding of modern economics and politics. One noteworthy concept he examines is how, during the Cold War, labor movements in many Western nations, including the US, closely matched US foreign policy.

Labor unions and leftist political organizations frequently backed their governments' policies against those of the Soviet Union and other communist nations during this time of fierce ideological conflict between capitalism and communism. This alignment was seen as a means of defending economic freedoms and democratic values against what was thought to be the communist bloc's aggressive expansionism.

Martin Jacques notes, however, that many who supported alternative political systems were shocked by the sudden fall of communism in Eastern Europe following the end of the Cold War. The collapse of the Berlin Wall and the events that followed showed how swiftly and unpredictably communist-based regimes could fall. This abrupt shift strengthened the view held by some observers that the dominant political and economic system, which was primarily characterized by liberal democratic capitalism, had no other workable alternatives.

Consider a garden where different kinds of flowers stand in for different political philosophies to metaphorically illustrate this point. For many years, one kind of flower appeared to be the most common and resilient. However, it abruptly and unexpectedly withered away nearly entirely. As a result, visitors to the garden began to wonder if there was another type that could possibly flourish in the current environment.

Martin Jacques essentially emphasizes how historical occurrences can influence ideas about what is feasible in politics and the economy, frequently resulting in agreement around current systems rather than investigation of alternatives.