Beyond Labels

A 360° Discussion of Foreign, National and Local Policy Issues

Topic for 2 October: What were US political and economic expectations at the end of the cold war? Have those expectations been met?

Many politicians, and some economists and historians, claimed that the US had “won” the cold war when the Soviet Union collapsed at the end of 1991, and that the result would be “end of history” (i.e., world-wide adoption of US-style democracy and capitalism) and a “peace dividend” resulting from the anticipated fall in US defense spending. Were there other US expectations at that time as the result of the end of the cold war? What were they?

Have those US expectations been met? If not, how has reality differed from those expectations, and why?

One aspect of reality vs. post-cold war expectations is described in an article in the Business Section of The New York Times for Sunday, 24 September (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/22/business/economy/military-industrial-complex.html).

1 Comment

  • So sorry to have to miss these most interesting sounding topic-discussions, and look forward to joining in again when I’ve returned in the Spring. Happy winter trails all, with best wishes, Connie


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