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For most of the second half of the 20th century, the USSR existed, China was (as it still is) authoritarian, and the US supported authoritarian regimes in place

For most of the second half of the 20th century, the USSR existed, China was (as it still is) authoritarian, and the US supported authoritarian regimes in places like South Korea, Indonesia, Iran, and Chile. US-supported regimes killed something like a million people between 1950-1990. Then the 1990s came and the USSR collapsed, liberating Eastern Europe. Also, the US pulled back a bit from its support of the worst sort of authoritarians. So there were reasons to be hopeful during the 1990s. I'd say that on the whole, if there was an anomaly it was more the 1990s specifically than any of the time from 1950-1990. I think the world in general is still less authoritarian on average than it was between 1950-1990.

brundolf 6y ago
I have a similar impression of the 90s, though I've been skeptical of it since that happened to also be my childhood
- alisonatwork 6y ago
  The 90s weren't great. We had wars in Yugoslavia, Chechnya, and more. But, in general, I do have a sense it was a uniquely optimistic decade for many people in the former First World, mainly because the Cold War ended and there was a sense that we had "won". Western Europe in particular demilitarized a lot as a result, the EU was formalized, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, Oslo Accords happened, end of apartheid etc. For Americans I think 9/11 derailed things again. Outside of the former First World, I'm not sure they'd see the 90s the same way.
  - KLexpat 6y ago
    It was nearly a golden age in indochina. People in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, (South) Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, etc experienced incredible and permanent improvement in living standards but yeah it wasn't that great anywhere south of cancun or cairo
KLexpat 6y ago
>US-supported regimes killed something like a million people between 1950-1990. They killed far more than that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_mass_killings_of_1965%E2%80%9366 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_mass_killings_of_19... 1965–1966, 500k - 1m https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Laos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Laos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Cambodia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Cambodia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Myanmar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Myanmar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_squads_in_El_Salvador https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_squads_in_El_Salvador "The paramilitaries committed the vast majority of murders and massacres during the civil war and were heavily aligned with the United States-backed government"
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brundolf 6y ago

I have a similar impression of the 90s, though I've been skeptical of it since that happened to also be my childhood

alisonatwork 6y ago
The 90s weren't great. We had wars in Yugoslavia, Chechnya, and more. But, in general, I do have a sense it was a uniquely optimistic decade for many people in the former First World, mainly because the Cold War ended and there was a sense that we had "won". Western Europe in particular demilitarized a lot as a result, the EU was formalized, the Good Friday Agreement was signed, Oslo Accords happened, end of apartheid etc. For Americans I think 9/11 derailed things again. Outside of the former First World, I'm not sure they'd see the 90s the same way.
- KLexpat 6y ago
  It was nearly a golden age in indochina. People in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, (South) Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, etc experienced incredible and permanent improvement in living standards but yeah it wasn't that great anywhere south of cancun or cairo

KLexpat 6y ago

>US-supported regimes killed something like a million people between 1950-1990. They killed far more than that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_mass_killings_of_1965%E2%80%9366 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesian_mass_killings_of_19... 1965–1966, 500k - 1m https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Laos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Laos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Cambodia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Cambodia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Myanmar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_activities_in_Myanmar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_squads_in_El_Salvador https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_squads_in_El_Salvador "The paramilitaries committed the vast majority of murders and massacres during the civil war and were heavily aligned with the United States-backed government"

deleted 6y ago

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