Since"real-existing capitalism in ex-Communist East European countries" could be established, world politics indulge in democratic enthusiasm further to idealizing new semi-political actors like NGOs, the Civil Society, etc., even though the dilemma of a market-liberalism vs. fundamentalism is not being solved but rather avoided by having them both, as a "distopian realization of this dream" especially in East Europe. Turning regular folks into vulgar consumers everywhere, the triumph of capitalism becomes as obvious but still not conclusive. This is why Zizek considers that while the Communist Manifesto does not offer answers, it still has something to say to us: our society will have to develop other means than either to trust the "hope that any social antagonisms will be resolved through the further development of capitalist economy and its political counterpart, the multiculturalist liberal democracy", or to propagate a "return to traditional values (from Catholic or Islamic fundamentalism to Oriental New Age wisdom)".
So, the spectre is still roaming around. This introduction contains a 78 pages worth reading. Zizek holds good rasons to make us believe that the authors of the Manifesto are closer to our time than some of the postmodernsophists. "