The Collapse Gap: The USSR vs The USA
Very interesting and insightful, if disturbing, analysis of the likely forthcoming collapse of the American economic and political system. This Russian does a point by point comparison of the previous collapse of the Soviet system with the impending one of the American corporate/capitalist one, why they happened and what the effects have and will be on their respective societies.
Many of the problems that sunk the Soviet Union are now endangering the United States as well. Such as a huge, well-equipped, very expensive military, with no clear mission, bogged down in fighting Muslim insurgents. Such as energy shortfalls linked to peaking oil production. Such as a persistently unfavorable trade balance, resulting in runaway foreign debt. Add to that a delusional self-image, an inflexible ideology, and an unresponsive political system.
Read Orlov’s complete analysis Here. It is certainly worth the time.
on February 15th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Get a load of the sour-grapes Russian guy (”we collapsed first and better than you will, nah nah nah”) suggesting that Russia won the space race because their capsules were flying tourists to the space station while our shuttles were grounded. Give me a break! We donated over a billion dollars to keep their Mir program alive in the 1990s and to keep their rocket scientists peacefully employed. If they hadn’t been the first to collapse, with another superpower left to send them financial aid, their space program would have been caputnik. Even with our help, they were still renting part of their mission control building to a lamp shop. As for that new space station that they are so proudly (desperately, more like) running the world’s only “space charter” to, it’s maybe about 80% funded by the USA. Russia built the core module (barely, with a clunky ventilation system) thanks to a $20 million loan from the US. Another module they are still supposed to build, but haven’t started yet, is listed as “under review”. The Russian Space Agency launches commercial satellites for profit and send supplies to the space station. Big deal. Who’s got two little buggies driving around on Mars?