Perhaps i should have explained myself better, - when i suggested the
influence of democracy i was implying people's desire to govern themselves
and the subsequent opposition and downfall of previous, generally monarchic
systems. I suggested this because to me the twentieth century seems to have
been characterised by the fight for the rights of the common individual. I
see state communism as an extension of this philosophy and therefore falling
under the same heading of being driven by the exisatence of the mass rather
than just the top level of the hierarchy.

You suggest that communism was responsible for the cold war - i for one
would be just as likely to blame it on US paranoia and inability to accept
that other countries may wish to govern themselves. NOT you understand that
i particularly support what turned into the soviet system of government as
it was clearly cruel and unfree, but then so is what passes for electoral
democracy here in the west!

Yes, i think the bolshevik revolution has had a massive influence on the
political formation of this century, but i think it is more wide-reaching
than simply conflating it with the effects of soviet rule. The effects of
the october revolution were not simply responsible for the current state of
the Russian economy and ethnic tension in the Baltic states (I think western
market forces, fear, insecurity, religion and history may also have a hand
in that...?). As well as leaving people free to reignite old hatreds, the
revolution was responsible for freeing millions from feudal serfdom
paramount to slavery and inspiring millions more by showing that brutal and
unfair regimes did not have to be tolerated but that people could be free to
determine the path of their own lives. In retrospect it is clear that the
downtrodden people who make up systems and benefit from them found this
deeply threatening and acted against the movement to thwart their efforts
(much as feminism lead to backlash and civil rights actions got a heavy
response from the klan etc).

Despite all these attempts to destroy the revolutionary ideal of freedom and
self government, i think the idea remains a strong driving force for change.