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The '80 were a period of continuous economic decline and increase in nationalist sentiment all over USSR and satellites. Mostly an implosion. The US won by simp

The '80 were a period of continuous economic decline and increase in nationalist sentiment all over USSR and satellites. Mostly an implosion. The US won by simply sustaining a level of prosperity that the Soviets could not match. Arguably pop music, blue jeans and Hollywood movies were the primary driver of the destruction of the morale of the average soviet citizen, especially the young generations for which the carnage of WW2 was a distant memory. Militarily speaking, the Afghanistan debacle was the largest contributor, though that was mostly the doing of the Afghanis.

dundarious 5y ago
Then that’s not a war. That’s economic competition and maybe starvation (i.e., embargos, sanctions). As a separate point, and I acknowledge it’s not at all apples-to-apples, but that tactic has been totally unsuccessful regarding Cuba. But in an alternate reality with just economic competition and a few sanctions here and there (no coups, etc.), it’s not a war at all, even a cold one. And if anyone, surely we’re in a cold war with Russia right now — we even have proxy military fronts in Ukraine and Syria! Nothing at all like this for China. Edit: I don’t think it’s advisable to think of the US as being in a hot/cold war with Russia either.
- angelzen 5y ago
  Fair enough. Arguably Cold War I wasn't much of a war either. Other than perhaps a short window after WW2, there was never a risk of a Soviet invasion in Western Europe. The Soviets could barely move 10 tons of potatoes from Ukraine to Moscow, and not before losing half to frostbite.
  - dundarious 5y ago
    I think I gave enough examples to show how it was far more of a war than whatever arrangement we currently have with China, but also that it involved a lot of violence and conventional hot wars by proxy — a lot of war stuff for a non-war. Also, the Cuban Missile Crisis/October Crisis was as Hot as a Cold War can get, given Kennedy’s advisors thought the naval blockade was tantamount to a declaration of war, and we were 2/3 of the way to a nuclear tipped torpedo hitting San Francisco Bay. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Arkhipov_(vice_admiral) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Arkhipov_(vice_admira...
    - angelzen 5y ago
      Fair enough. What changed is that since then a Cold War ended with a clear winner and a clear loser. Opposing blocks now know there are alternate ways of winning besides hot war. Think about that during the next systemic racism training at your workplace, or as your kids don't leave your house until they are 35 because they have no path to ever afford the mortgage on a house of their own.
      - dundarious 5y ago
        > Think about that during the next systemic racism training at your workplace, or as your kids don't leave your house until they are 35 because they have no path to ever afford the mortgage on a house of their own. I’m sure you think this was a very “based” sentence that attacked my insecurities and fears to which I say: lol. lmao

dundarious 5y ago

Then that’s not a war. That’s economic competition and maybe starvation (i.e., embargos, sanctions). As a separate point, and I acknowledge it’s not at all apples-to-apples, but that tactic has been totally unsuccessful regarding Cuba. But in an alternate reality with just economic competition and a few sanctions here and there (no coups, etc.), it’s not a war at all, even a cold one. And if anyone, surely we’re in a cold war with Russia right now — we even have proxy military fronts in Ukraine and Syria! Nothing at all like this for China. Edit: I don’t think it’s advisable to think of the US as being in a hot/cold war with Russia either.

angelzen 5y ago
Fair enough. Arguably Cold War I wasn't much of a war either. Other than perhaps a short window after WW2, there was never a risk of a Soviet invasion in Western Europe. The Soviets could barely move 10 tons of potatoes from Ukraine to Moscow, and not before losing half to frostbite.
- dundarious 5y ago
  I think I gave enough examples to show how it was far more of a war than whatever arrangement we currently have with China, but also that it involved a lot of violence and conventional hot wars by proxy — a lot of war stuff for a non-war. Also, the Cuban Missile Crisis/October Crisis was as Hot as a Cold War can get, given Kennedy’s advisors thought the naval blockade was tantamount to a declaration of war, and we were 2/3 of the way to a nuclear tipped torpedo hitting San Francisco Bay. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Arkhipov_(vice_admiral) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasily_Arkhipov_(vice_admira...
  - angelzen 5y ago
    Fair enough. What changed is that since then a Cold War ended with a clear winner and a clear loser. Opposing blocks now know there are alternate ways of winning besides hot war. Think about that during the next systemic racism training at your workplace, or as your kids don't leave your house until they are 35 because they have no path to ever afford the mortgage on a house of their own.
    - dundarious 5y ago
      > Think about that during the next systemic racism training at your workplace, or as your kids don't leave your house until they are 35 because they have no path to ever afford the mortgage on a house of their own. I’m sure you think this was a very “based” sentence that attacked my insecurities and fears to which I say: lol. lmao