Does Lenin Want Fries With That?

Occasional Reason contributor Paul Cantor has penned a remarkable travel essay about a Black Sea cruise he took earlier this year.

It opens with a remarkable juxtaposition at Yalta (yes, Yalta): A leftover gigantic statue of Lenin and a bustling McDonald's hamburger joint.

Cantor's large point:

It is an irony of history that the images of Lenin and McDonald?s have for the moment come to stand as twin sentinels over Yalta harbor. If the larger history of the Black Sea teaches us a lesson, it suggests that in the long run we will be better off following the lead of commerce rather than that of the commissar.

Whole thing here.