America won the Cold War with Boris Yeltsin & the breakup of the USSR. The Russian old guards meticulously planned their payback, sown the kompromats, and are now harvesting the results.
Capitalism won the Cold War, and Russia embraced it and immediately converted to a bandit state with an enthusiasm far beyond the American version. Eventually their more naked and ruthless implementation of capitalism found the festering weakness in Americas more polite version and got it elected President through memetic warfare
America was always a ravenous capitalist country in the past. Because of that it was close to societal collapse during the Great Depression. FDR implemented many social ideas to bring the country from the brink. And as long as communism was a threat and the New Deal coalition held, gilded age capitalism was held at bay.
But starting with Reagan both communism as a threat dissappeared and the New Deal coalition failed as the younger generations forgot how bad it was for the average American before it. There was also a massive white backlash against desegregation.
So since the 80s US capitalism has been going back to its ravenous origins. The death of unions, deregulating media and Citizens United are important milestones along the way.
American capitalism was never more polite, it simply had a better PR team. Russia never really tried to pretend capitalism was anything other than what it is.
Even the much-vaunted Navalny was, in his own words, a believer in capitalism "in its most brutal form". People tend not to like it when you point that out.
Ain’t over until we are all dead and buried. Until then, I think democracy and equality, diversity and kindness deserve to be protected and fought for.
In most meaningful ways, modern Russia and the Soviet Union are different entities. This post is like saying "Spain actually lost to the Aztec Empire" because Mexico later won its independence from Spain
I mean, nobody who worked for the Aztec empire spy service then ran Mexico. There was several hundred years between the entities. This Russia is ran by people who were part of the Soviet apparatus.
"With the Russians it is not a question of whether but of when. If you say why not bomb them tomorrow, I say why not today? If you say today at 5 o'clock, I say why not one o'clock?" - John Von Neuman
Only fella more critical to the Manhattan project than Oppenheimer. One of the smartest people in history.
And he was saying this before the cold war even began in earnest. Why? What did he know then that we know now?
Not only did they concede they, dismantled the entire league! The entire Warsaw Pact was totally dismantled, the entire Soviet Union was also dismantled, and Gorbachev proposed that the process of dismantling and eventually eliminating the entire arsenal of nuclear weapons over a period of time. Reagan’s staff talked him out of it.
But as General Colin Powell was quoted to say “who’s going to find an excuse to buy all the weapons we need?”
As General George Patton was once quoted to say “War is hell, Peace is worse”
ADMINlSTRAT0R | 16 hours ago
America won the Cold War with Boris Yeltsin & the breakup of the USSR. The Russian old guards meticulously planned their payback, sown the kompromats, and are now harvesting the results.
Trump is their Yeltsin.
flashmedallion | 13 hours ago
I think there's more irony to it than that.
Capitalism won the Cold War, and Russia embraced it and immediately converted to a bandit state with an enthusiasm far beyond the American version. Eventually their more naked and ruthless implementation of capitalism found the festering weakness in Americas more polite version and got it elected President through memetic warfare
kapsama | 6 hours ago
America was always a ravenous capitalist country in the past. Because of that it was close to societal collapse during the Great Depression. FDR implemented many social ideas to bring the country from the brink. And as long as communism was a threat and the New Deal coalition held, gilded age capitalism was held at bay.
But starting with Reagan both communism as a threat dissappeared and the New Deal coalition failed as the younger generations forgot how bad it was for the average American before it. There was also a massive white backlash against desegregation.
So since the 80s US capitalism has been going back to its ravenous origins. The death of unions, deregulating media and Citizens United are important milestones along the way.
It has very little to do with Russian influence.
Jonthrei | 11 hours ago
American capitalism was never more polite, it simply had a better PR team. Russia never really tried to pretend capitalism was anything other than what it is.
Proud_Smell_4455 | 8 hours ago
Even the much-vaunted Navalny was, in his own words, a believer in capitalism "in its most brutal form". People tend not to like it when you point that out.
UnpricedToaster | 18 hours ago
So Russia sucks. Now America sucks.
Nobody won.
HiphopopoptimusPrime | 9 hours ago
But for one brief shining shimmering moment, we made incredible value for shareholders.
feastoffun | 14 hours ago
Ain’t over until we are all dead and buried. Until then, I think democracy and equality, diversity and kindness deserve to be protected and fought for.
Salvidicus | 16 hours ago
It also lost its soul when it elected Trump.
Proud_Smell_4455 | 8 hours ago
If you live long enough, you'll see that every victory turns into a defeat. - Simone de Beauvoir
figures | 18 hours ago
Turns out, Civil War too
lopix | 9 hours ago
No. They won it. They won it years ago.
They just rolled over, for no real reason, and started giving out handjobs to dictators.
Ok-Entertainer-1414 | 16 hours ago
In most meaningful ways, modern Russia and the Soviet Union are different entities. This post is like saying "Spain actually lost to the Aztec Empire" because Mexico later won its independence from Spain
CountofAnjou | 14 hours ago
I mean, nobody who worked for the Aztec empire spy service then ran Mexico. There was several hundred years between the entities. This Russia is ran by people who were part of the Soviet apparatus.
SpinningHead | 8 hours ago
Cmon. It’s run by former kgb who said Stalin was their high point
dCLCp | 17 hours ago
"With the Russians it is not a question of whether but of when. If you say why not bomb them tomorrow, I say why not today? If you say today at 5 o'clock, I say why not one o'clock?" - John Von Neuman
Only fella more critical to the Manhattan project than Oppenheimer. One of the smartest people in history.
And he was saying this before the cold war even began in earnest. Why? What did he know then that we know now?
omegaphallic | 13 hours ago
That is an absurd substack that should not be taken seriously.
digitalgimp | 17 hours ago
How can you lose a war when the other guy just concedes and walked away.
https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/russia-programs/2017-12-12/nato-expansion-what-gorbachev-heard-western-leaders-early
Not only did they concede they, dismantled the entire league! The entire Warsaw Pact was totally dismantled, the entire Soviet Union was also dismantled, and Gorbachev proposed that the process of dismantling and eventually eliminating the entire arsenal of nuclear weapons over a period of time. Reagan’s staff talked him out of it.
But as General Colin Powell was quoted to say “who’s going to find an excuse to buy all the weapons we need?”
As General George Patton was once quoted to say “War is hell, Peace is worse”