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Back in the eighties, however ridiculous it might sound, the population of the USSR was one of the most pro-American. The USA were a symbol of better life, not because of their two-party system or their free market, but because of their consumer goods. No, we didn't choose freedom, we chose jeans, cola and bubble gum. This, and we stopped executing senior party leaders, which allowed a spineless idiot to get to the top. Yeah, the one with a birthmark.
Anyway, back in 1991, people were expecting the USSR to turn into the USA. Actually, they were expecting it to turn into the USSR with jeans, cola and bubble gum, but were greatly disillusioned, as a lot of things that were taken for granted suddenly disappeared:
- free education, from kindergartens to post-grad;
- free medicine, including dentistry, yes;
- free housing;
- inexpensive food;
- their life savings;
- sense of security.
This meant the USSR turned not into the USA of the people's dreams, but into the USA of Soviet propaganda. And this was the best chance for the US to gain a new friend, to forge a juggernaut of an alliance.
What was needed was a new Marshall plan. The States could've used parts of their now superflous military budget to help Russia adapt its economy to the global market. The population would be grateful, and the later mutual profit would be immense.
What was done instead? Well, a "shock therapy" was recommended to be used in Russia, and there was also a lot of "Commies taking it in the ass
" in the land of the brave. This wasn't what the people expected. At all.
Around 1994 the support for the US started to wane quite noticeably. It took a big hit when our economy defaulted in 1998 and hit rock bottom when NATO bombed our historical ally, Serbia, in 1999.
Even now, if you held a referendum, "America, **** yeah" would lose big time to "America, **** it". And this is the biggest difference between now and the Cold War. Back then, the States were seen as a generally positive force and even when they were doing their best to alienate the Union they weren't alienating the Soviet people, and now they're seen as an aggressive world policeman, and any action against Russia doesn't help their image in the eyes of an average Russian.
Anyway, back in 1991, people were expecting the USSR to turn into the USA. Actually, they were expecting it to turn into the USSR with jeans, cola and bubble gum, but were greatly disillusioned, as a lot of things that were taken for granted suddenly disappeared:
- free education, from kindergartens to post-grad;
- free medicine, including dentistry, yes;
- free housing;
- inexpensive food;
- their life savings;
- sense of security.
This meant the USSR turned not into the USA of the people's dreams, but into the USA of Soviet propaganda. And this was the best chance for the US to gain a new friend, to forge a juggernaut of an alliance.
What was needed was a new Marshall plan. The States could've used parts of their now superflous military budget to help Russia adapt its economy to the global market. The population would be grateful, and the later mutual profit would be immense.
What was done instead? Well, a "shock therapy" was recommended to be used in Russia, and there was also a lot of "Commies taking it in the ass
" in the land of the brave. This wasn't what the people expected. At all.Around 1994 the support for the US started to wane quite noticeably. It took a big hit when our economy defaulted in 1998 and hit rock bottom when NATO bombed our historical ally, Serbia, in 1999.
Even now, if you held a referendum, "America, **** yeah" would lose big time to "America, **** it". And this is the biggest difference between now and the Cold War. Back then, the States were seen as a generally positive force and even when they were doing their best to alienate the Union they weren't alienating the Soviet people, and now they're seen as an aggressive world policeman, and any action against Russia doesn't help their image in the eyes of an average Russian.
Actually we probably aren't really capitalist we just went from a socialism that was democratic in theory to democracy that is socialist in theory.
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