Collapse
I am going to begin to collate sources of information on the post collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 90s and the struggle the Russian people endured in those terrible days.
Information I have gleaned from Russian oriented websites in English tell of high unemployment, food shortages, closed shops and factories, a much degraded ruble, and an impotent government infused with corruption unable and/or unwilling to address the collapsing economy and subsequent plunge of it's citizens into alcoholism, increased suicide, lawlessness, and national despair.
Wikipedia accounts of this period are rife with western history fables and admits it's foibles by numerous requests for "citations".
While it gives much detail with the leadup to dissolution of the USSR, it gives nothing on post collapse other than 4 million plus premature deaths and a plunge in life expectancy.
Is a future of America going to be a remake of the post USSR?
Are we seeing a plunge in life expectancy here now? Is substance abuse a growing problem here too?
I am witnessing the closure of numerous chain stores and small businesses all around me here, too numerous to list.
Rampant inflation/degradation of the dollar is increasing and yet the stock market continues to skyrocket. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see where the wealth is going.
What's going to happen to the American people when our ruling regime fails to capture, plunder, and pillage all eleven times zones of the largest repository of natural resources left on planet earth?
I think it is important to at least look to see what our future may hold.
But then, by the efforts of one man, Russia has completely recovered and has become the most feared country to the diminishing Western world.
There are lessons to be learned here too.
Where do we look for a man (or woman) that would have the full support of 87.6% of the population?
We've only got two choices in November. Re-shuffling the deck will not help us.
We desperately need a new deck.
The thread is open.
Comments
The collapse of the Key bridge
in Baltimore (which was struck by a container ship at 1:30am, this morning) is a very, very painful metaphor for the fate of the rest of the system. As Hemingway said: "Gradually, then suddenly". It is absolutely terrible.
And being a cynical SOB, I'm very glad that I'm not either the ship's master or the chief engineer, as well as not being one of the harbor pilots- or a member of the unfortunate maintenance crew that was working in the middle of the bridge at the time. It would appear that the bridge authority had just enough warning to at least try to stop traffic, even though there were definitely vehicles lost.
At least it wasn't at rush hour, and miraculously we didn't reflexively launch a retaliatory first strike at someone. There's that- the good news for the day, amidst the horrific carnage and inevitable economic damage...
Meanwhile, cue the rote requests for "thoughts and prayers", as well as the unceasing verbal diarrhea from the rabid conspiracy theorists, in 3... 2... 1...
I mourn. I mourn too many things to count.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Beyond words
There were problems with running a campaign of Joy while committing a genocide? Who could have guessed?
Harris is unburdened of speaking going forward.
The radio traffic
from the Maryland Transportation Authority trying to shut down traffic and get the construction people off the bridge after the vessel called Mayday...
And on edit: if you want to really be appalled, go read the comments about this disaster over on Zerohedge. So many keyboards, so few brain cells.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
This is going to mess up trucking bigtime
Baltimore, as a port, is going to be unavailable for some weeks or longer, until they get the wreckage cleared. And as for routing - currently larger, heavier and hazmat trucks, which can't or aren't allowed to go through the harbor tunnels, are being routed around 695 to the west. That will do for a stopgap, but longterm - for however many years it takes to replace the Key Bridge - overflow will probably be sent over the inland route, i.e. Route I-81 and its assorted east-west feeders.
I-81 is, I can tell you plainly, not ready for this, and the various towns that will be affected - including mine - are not going to like it.
There is no justice. There can be no peace.
Maersk
having a Boeing moment.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
No doubt.
The knock-on effects from this will be felt for years to come. I'm sure that getting the channel reopened will be a herculean effort- but the surface freight is going to be disrupted for a decade at a minimum. No bueno.
Twice bitten, permanently shy.
Not to make fun of the tragedy but I must include this!
Thank you
for so concisely stating and focusing on this subject, the Shock Therapy our neocon overlords inflicted on the former Soviet Union. I hope we can research and write about it a lot.
Whoever the group of people are who work with Putin, they clearly succeeded in gradually moving the Russian people out of an abyss. And I hope we focus on the fact that the oligarchs who supposedly corrupt Putin and his reformers include U.S. industrial corporations that have been in Russia for a century and that we, the American people, know all about corruption by big oil, big gas, big mining, big pipeline builders, in the same century.
The notion that we should have a nuclear war to the death over the fact that Russia may be controlled by oligarchs, as we are, is the height of hypocritical madness.
When Putin took power
he quietly confronted the oligarchs, sending some to prison, some were exiled, and some were given a choice, join him in returning Russia to it's former place in the world, or go down with it.
The results were the creation of The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, who meet with the Putin administration regularly and decide how to bring a successful business, financial, and industrial economy back to Russia that benefits all the people. https://karlof1.substack.com/p/putin-meets-with-alexander-shokhin
The 64,000 dollar question, where do we find an English speaking Putin clone of our own.
Thanks for the kudos and for stopping by.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Music for a Rainy Afternoon
Sometimes, this is the only thing that seems appropriate. Good wishes to all.
Steve Earle
Thanks for the tune Moser
Have to admit I've never heard that ditty before.
Catchy, I like it.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
History will not be kind in the reflections of this era.
-
Total collapse, USSR style is not unimaginable here with the recklessness of
the current regime. Will the survivors find a moral compass to lead them back
to some basic type of sanity after the fall? We are watching the demise now in
real time. And many of us elders have seen the precipitous decline. The halcyon
days of hope and awakening are shrinking in the rear view mirror.
Thanks for the OT!
IMO
the downward spiral accelerated right after November 23rd 1963.
We just ignored Ike's warning.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Good morning, earthling1. What QMS said, in spades.
You know, RMN once got hammered by a political campaign based on the question "Would you buy a used car from this man?" Now, seriously ask yourself, would you buy anything from any of the current crop or habitual liars and sociopaths running everything? That includes their rhetoric and promises, n'est ce pas? Both candidates for presidunce are already out there howlng "I am not a crook", and both of them clearly are that and more. We are a thoroughly corrupt predator nation that is the worlds number one terrorist state. When we fall, it is likely that nobody will feel in the least sorry for us.
I could go on, but why?
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Okay
this shite is just Too fucking funny
nowadays-aside from the tragedy
of course
100% of the peeps that died
were gonna die anyway
same with all of Us
nobody knows how/when
‘till it happens
qms has it right we Living
the collapse in real-time
most of us have felt it
loved ones lost or damaged
same with everything
All self inflicted
Oh Well
Ya got to be a Spirit, cain't be no Ghost. . .
Explain Bldg #7. . . still waiting. . .
If you’ve ever wondered whether you would have complied in 1930’s Germany,
Now you know. . .
sign at protest march
Thanks
for the unique Fleetwood number. Brings back fond memories.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
We have witnessed 2 empire collapses
in our lives. Great Britain and the USSR. I prefer to skip over France, but that is just me.
What we have been told about them by media and modern history books is not especially trustworthy.
I have far less interest in GB, our little puppet, than what transpired in the USSR, our designated Enemy No. 1.
I expect our oligarchs will rush for the gold and land grab, such as the Russian oligarchs did.
The great smack down of the Russian oligarchs was not simply patriotism. By that time, Russians deprived of religious practices during Soviet times, had rushed to the churches with a fervor we do not have in the US. Not only that, The Russian Orthodox Church is uniquely Russian, brings a religious cohesion the US country does not have. We have no uniquely American Church. If fact, our various churches do not particularly respect each other.
E1, thanks for studying this era. Fascinating stuff, and it might be our travel guide as we head to the future.
Wonderful OT. Thanks so much.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Just getting into the study
Will pummel with questions sites like smoothiex12, cluborlov, karlof1, simplicious76, readingjunkie, and others to get a feel from those who were there.
Perhaps get a line on some publications that can be transcribed into english. There has to be a lot of data and first hand accounts of the pain and suffering they went through despite the information blackout here in the west.
I am very much interested in how they got their agricultural sector re-established and built it into the largest exporter of foodstuffs in the world.
Thanks for the post.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Japan and Greece
have fallen in that time also, But the IMF was conveniently there to pick them up off the ground.
I don't think the World Bank or the IMF will be there for us because........we are the World Bank and IMF. Or at least our Oligarchs are funding them.
Have a good day.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
Interesting item from Asia Times below
https://asiatimes.com/2023/07/us-intel-report-casts-new-doubt-on-wuhan-l...
quick easy read for any interested
be wll and have good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Thanks EL
will check it out. "US intel report" rings alarms in itself.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
"The collapse of the Soviet Union",
Having opened my eyes and ears to eastern perspectives these last two years, I have a different understanding now than I used to about the statement- the "collapse". I used to think about it as evidence that the Soviet system, communism, or whatever their particular ideology they adhered to had failed. I now believe that Gorbachev and Yeltsin were significantly convinced that "the west" was no longer an existential threat to them. They could allow Germany to reunify, they could dismantle their gargantuan defense systems, they could open up their economy and markets to the outside world. And in this they were wrong. Putin identified how wrong they were when he saw the west raid and plunder his nation. Gorb and Yelts had been tricked. While they were tricked they let their guard down. Putin has come slowly (IMHO) to the full and complete realization that the West can NOT be trusted. But I think he is taking a better and different approach. No need to resurrect the USSR. but no need to be a fool anymore.
America would do well to find a leader who is so determined to guide their nation state back to its former greatness (all caveats aside) as Putin is. I don't think Americans can really grasp that there are leaders of competing nations who are 100% dedicated to the well being of their nation states. You may have your own list, but I think Vlad, Xi, AMLO, Chavez belong on any list. In the meantime our leadership class seems bent on narcissistic escapades. Personal accumulation of wealth and power.
E1, thanks for starting what I find a very interesting conversation.
@wouldsman And to keep going a
And to keep going a little more here. I think there will be great similarity to the collapse of U.S. We weren't tricked by an outside entity. We were tricked by the same forces that tricked Gorb and Yelts. The forces that the invisible hand of the market will solve all issues. Open up your markets, liberalize policies, allow capital access and power and control.
But yes, I think the trickery will lead to a very similar looking collapse. The mass scale issues with homelessness and substance abuse, leading to deaths of despair. It isn't really a "future" thing. We see it around us everyday. We experience it thru friends every day. Every event that happens can be seen as a "one off" if one wants to stay in denial. But cumulatively it is all a sign of collapse. Bridges run into by tankers? Homeless encampments? Whistleblowers "committing suicide". Imprisoned truth tellers. Yah. The list can go on forever.
And yes,
it was the same blob that tricked Gorb and Yeltsin that are lying and deceiving us today.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
I liken the dissolution
of the USSR to Paul Simons "50 ways to leave your lover."
Just slip out the back, Jack
Make a new plan, Stan
Don't need to be coy, Roy
Just get yourself free!
Thanks for the post.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.
According to Alfred McCoy
...Russia is responsible for the collapse of Francafrique. Prighozin's role is outlined in part of the article. The article is about 6 months old and has some interesting background.
Russia Is Destroying the Powerful French Empire in Africa
Maybe this is why Macron has such a case of the ass for war with Russia. US don't let me down! I can't help thinking about how European colonialism in Africa preceded WWI.
語必忠信 行必正直
Evening, soryang
I'm certain the French are not happy with anything Russia does. That hatred goes back centuries.
As far as Macron is concerned, I think that as a Rothchild spawn, he is biologically ingrained to vehemently oppose any danger to the milk of their soul, money.
Russia and China are on a full court press on the supremacy of the American dollar.
Macron has stated many times, "We cannot let Russia win in Ukraine, it will destroy the western world as we know it".
Gotta admit, on this , he is absolutely
rightcorrect.Have a great night.
Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.