Did Excessive Military Spending and Corrupt Politicians Lead to the Superpower USSR downfall?
955111
The second big hike in oil prices (the first was in 1973) came too late to save it.\n\nBut there were other signs of internal instability: Chernobyl, other environmental disasters, problems with new technology (communications, computerization), misuse of resources, probably bad investment decisions and plant depreciation.\n\nSome of these illnesses are seen in the corporate world too -- leading to bankruptcies; and in local government. Arrogance and greed and waste are endemic in socialism but scarcely unknown in the West. Think of (Red) Ken Livingston. And George W. Bush. In the sense that the latter two have refused to take advice, and got or will get their comeuppance: Ken in his Olympic madness and his £25 congestion charge; George in his Iraqi war and his depletion of the Treasury, indebtedness to China and incipient weakness of hte currency.\n\nNo country or city is immune to implosion, even if it's not on the scale of the collapse of the Soviet empire.
578368
Greed and corruption.
84788
Yes.\n\nThe main causes are \nA) increasing financing of our federal debt by foreign countries. If China decides to stop buying our debt, or worse, asks for an immediate payback, we'd be unable to finance many of our present governmental functions. Of course, we'd find a way to keep the police departments and such running, but it'd require massive congressional overhaul, governmental regulation of an enormous scale, and a huge upheaval in our free market. \n\nB) the increasing cost of oil. If oil barrels hit $100, you'd see gas prices of 6-7 dollars per gallon. Huge layoffs, massive stock selling, and sky high prices on goods and services. Milk would be four or five bucks a gallon. Coffee would cost 12 or 13 bucks. Inflation would drive all prices up, interest rates on credit cards could exceed 40% annually as a rule, and the entire populace would be close to bankruptcy.\n\nOf course, we'd find our way out of the mess. But, for a few years, it'd be like the Great Depression all over again.
603977
The system was doomed. Even without the cold war, it would eventually have failed. True communism means "Anthill Society", kind of a wrong species model of government. Humans are not communal bugs.
588430
How would this help regain it's past glory?  Even when it was the Soviet Union it had a lot of internal problems which still plague it today.  That's what caused the Soviet Union to collapse in the first place.  I doubt Iran going to war would help them in anyway because it'd disrupt oil production from the country for a period of time (if a ground war broke out).
412373
yeah it was Russia. or technologically USA supplying everyone with weapons. \np.s. they still supply the IRA a TERRORIST group. hypocites!
589563
Depression made people realize that government needed to control the economy (stocks and so on)\n\nWorld War II allowed the president to move troops around?\n\nand the Cold War allowed the president to play with our money and baad weapons O.o\n\nI think...
476805
It was actually Stalin's personal decision to end it. People were getting too rich, and they did not care very much about Socialist Principals any more. Neither Stalin nor the Communist Party were interested to lose control over Russia, hence it was decided to cancel the NEP toward the end of the 1920th decade. Cancellation of NEP was the first step of Stalin Power consolidation, Purges and Hunger were to follow.
925697
Kleptocracy.  He stole billions in foreign aid that were meant to benefit the people of his country.  Likely also imprisoned and tortured political dissidents.
667322
Boy, there's a debate.\n\nShort Answer: The United States, and it did it by spend the Soviet Union into oblivion. The USSR suffered the fate of most empires -- it overextended itself and ran of the resources necessary to sustain its empire.\nBut the US did it at a terrible cost. We are now stuck with a military-industrial complex that is bleeding us drive and could very soon threaten our own superiority.\n\nSo philosophical answer: The Cold War isn't over yet, and we could still lose.
594971
When India was pro-USSR, it got USA edgy and they started befriending Pakistan and selling them arms. Now these very weapons are in the hands of terrorits now and being used against US.\n\nUSSR is no longer in the scene as a Super Power and Uncle Sam realises the potential India has as a fast developing economic super power.\n\nNeed I say more?
712549
WHAT!!?! Reagan built the military up! because Carter was the one that downsized them, thats why many older military who remember reagan absolutely LOVED him, the US military was the smallest and weakest it ever was when Clinton was in office! he closed so many bases, your co worker needs to check his facts, republicans believe in a strong defense when it comes to the military, many democrats like to cut military spending and use the money on social programs,
330765
Ironically, George Bush the Elder presided over the fall of the Berlin wall.  This signalled the fall of the might of the Soviet Empire, leaving the United States as the world's last military giant.  It is then that we became a "super power".\n\nHowever, if you are referring to the President who presided over the initial rise of America to a military giant, yet another irony: it was a handicapped man, Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
721779
Personally I think it was destined to fail to begin with. Look at the methods of control that were used and the rampant corruption within the government. It’s a wonder it managed to stay afloat as long as it did. Reganomics really didn’t have as much to do with the USSR’s collapse as much as the slow attrition of the US economy and the world governments against a rapidly eroding communist regime that was finally becoming aware that their empires threshold of domination was long gone. In short, Reganomics was just the last straw that toppled the ‘evil empire.’ I think the true turning point in the sway of power within the USSR was the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. This upset the greater population to such a degree that the government would never again manage to maintain its sway of power to the effect it once had. The world view of the their government had a major impact and further exposed not only to the world the level of corruption the Russian government had, but also caused the Russian people to become more acutely aware of what the greater overview the world had of their government, and as such for once the Russian people agreed with them wholeheartedly. \n\nAgain in short, Reganomics was just the last straw.
791709
Iraq/Iran served as a proxy war between the US and USSR, as did Afghanistan.  The weapons and trasining provided to the Iraqis and Afghanistanis were free, we didn't sell anything.\n\nThese wars were the start of the events that led to the dissolution of the USSR.\n\nDespite liberal spin to the contrary, Reagan ran his White House, his Alzheimers did not manifest until he was out of office.
1076069
Yes, we are being too aggressive. We spend too much money on military and attack other nations base on a lie. Now other countries what to protect themselves better and being to put more funds into nuclear weapons. In the Cold war there were only few nations competing. Now we have many. Iran and north Korea is the most obvious ones. The more we spend on military, the more threat other nations will feel.
603553
If the Soviet Union were the only remaining superpower, the world would be a living hell.\n\nThe problem with the Communist system is that it perverts man's true nature.  The Communists said they had a noble ideal, that they were creating a selfless man, so that everything would be shared, everyone could live as equals, and poverty would be eliminated.\n\nHowever, Communism only creates poverty for everyone. People generally despised their jobs because they knew that putting forth more effort would give them and their families nothing in return.\n\nTwo common refrains were:\n\n1)  They pretend to pay me, and I pretend to work.\n2)  If you don't steal from the State, you are stealing from your family.\n\nCommunism was just another word for slavery.  You had the top Communist bosses who enjoyed luxuries forbidden to the masses.  The State told you where you could live, and what kind of job you could perform.  You had no voice.\n\nIf the old, Communist Soviet Union were in charge of the world, everyone would blame their problems on them, but not openly, or they'd have tanks running through their streets like 1968 Czechoslovakia.\n\nIf the old, Communist Soviet Union were in charge the world would be more backward, unstable, and poorer.\n\nIf you want to see the true evil face of Communism, rent this movie in the Foreign Films section of your local rental store:  "Dark Blue World" (Tvamomodry Svet).  You will see the absolutely vile nature of Communism.  The movie recounts how Czech pilots fled to England to join the fight against the Nazis.  After the war, the Communists occupiers sent these heroes to prison because they feared  these men had been to exposed to Western ideas about democracy and freedom.