The Worthy House (Charles Haywood) Armageddon Averted: The Soviet Collapse, 1970–2000 (Stephen Kotkin)
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Dec 13, 2023 
Stephen Kotkin, expert on the collapse of the Soviet Communist regime, discusses the factors behind the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, the consequences of the collapse, the role of Western banks, the challenges faced by post-Soviet Russia, the admiration for Putin's Russia among Americans, and the potential regime collapse and its consequences.
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Eastern Europe's Communist Collapse Explained
- The collapse of Eastern European Communist regimes arose from spontaneous, nationalist-driven citizen uprisings, not dissident elites.
- Soviet Union's refusal to use military force to preserve these regimes was key to their rapid downfall.
Gorbachev's Reforms and USSR Collapse
- Gorbachev's reforms aimed to strengthen socialism but ultimately accelerated collapse due to systemic inefficiencies.
- Surprise was the USSR's quiet self-dissolution rather than violent upheaval or repression.
Soviet Industry's Hidden Weakness
- Cheap energy concealed Soviet heavy industry's aging inefficiency akin to a worse Rust Belt.
- Despite economic challenges, the Soviet system remained stable with high patriotism and full employment.