30 years after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, it is still looking for a new path. Its disintegration has rocked the world, but it has not made it safer or more stable. Humanity is still in the midst of a global change.
30 years ago, on December 26, 1991, to be exact, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), aka the Soviet Union, dissolved into the states that comprised it. The republics left the union and Russia’s subordinate states became independent and began to fight against each other or joined their former arch-rival, NATO. Thirty years later, Russia is still looking for its way, and still craving world dominance.
I cannot say that the disintegration of the USSR has made the world a better place. Although it was a poor superpower, it was a superpower nonetheless, and the member-nations in it knew where they stood.
“Now that 2022 has begun, I think that we are starting the new year in great bewilderment. Russia is in a terrible condition, so is America, and although China seems like it is on top of the world, it is completely dependent on America’s purchasing power. The whole world is in a state of collapse. The ideologies that had kept countries going are all manifesting their irrelevance and weakness, and cannot offer humanity an appealing way of life. Indeed, the world is ready for change.”
Although it was not a democracy, it was solid, and in today’s tumultuous times, that, too, has merit. It may be good that the countries that comprised the Soviet Union have become independent, but until they reap the benefits from their independence, they will continue to be perilously unstable.
No one knows what the future holds for Russia, but it is clear that the situation is becoming increasingly precarious and threatens its stability. At the same time, the US is also losing steam. Despite being a democracy, and having economic superiority, America, too, is falling.
“Today, there is nothing but confusion. If the stress continues to build up within and between countries, they will have no choice but to release it the way they always release pressure: by going to war.”
So, on the one hand, the Russian economy is unstable, and on the other hand, the American democracy does not meet the demands of today’s world. As a result, China is stronger than both America and Russia.
The European Union is completely out of the picture. The “union” has become a composite of thirty or so countries that cannot agree on anything. As a result, the EU has lost its status as a significant player in the world arena.
This leaves the world with many question marks. If we add to it the Middle East, which is a snake pit, there is not much to look forward to, despite the temporary quiet.
I cannot say that the world would be any better had the USSR not been dissolved. Nevertheless, it is clear that while it was intact, it had advanced science and industry, and it sustained itself, even if poorly, and toward the end very poorly.
Still, times are changing, and there are always fluctuations between states. The new state will bring with it rejuvenation. In the meantime, however, the world is at a loss. It does not know where to go economically, politically, or in the military sense. People and countries are simply trying to hang on.
It may be an unorthodox view but I think that by and large, the Cold War was a good thing. At least people knew where they stood and how to conduct themselves. It was good for the superpowers, the rules were clear, and when the rules are clear, it is easier not to break them and cause horrendous accidents.
Today, there is nothing but confusion. If the stress continues to build up within and between countries, they will have no choice but to release it the way they always release pressure: by going to war.
Now that 2022 has begun, I think that we are starting the new year in great bewilderment. Russia is in a terrible condition, so is America, and although China seems like it is on top of the world, it is completely dependent on America’s purchasing power. The whole world is in a state of collapse. The ideologies that had kept countries going are all manifesting their irrelevance and weakness, and cannot offer humanity an appealing way of life. Indeed, the world is ready for change.
