The USSR was the counter part to the United States for over half a century during the Cold War representing the conflict between democracy and communism. This “war” ended with the collapse of the USSR without any gun or missile having to be shot. How did this happen? Experts have taken a look as to how this outcome was achieved.
It is important to realize that historians have a difficult time in tracing the exact causation of any given event in history. Richard Pipes gives a perfect example of this with the analogy of why an apple falls from a tree. There are numerous possibilities as to why something happened, thus one can only analyze all possible causes and calculate what sort of impact they have on an event.
Communism in Russia was a failed experiment and created a society filled with self centered people. Each person had to be selfish, or they would die from starvation in poverty. Government’s policy inhibited the economy, making the markets inefficient, ineffective, and incompatible with the needs of the people. Family was the only visible unit of society. Only by applying Western ideology of democracy and free markets could the Soviet Union transcend its own government structure.
The Soviet Union fell apart from within due to an erroneous flaw in philosophy. Communism was based on the assumption that humans are inherently good. It is this goodness that would allow all resources to be shared equally, but this idea falls apart when one realizes that all it takes is just one person with evil intent to break down the system. Inside of equality, the elite had all the power and the working class suffered oppression. Toward the late 1980s, the Soviet Union and its satellite states desired freedom and liberty, thus the Soviet Union crumbled under its own ideology, giving way to more free political governments.
However, the fight against totalitarian regimes is far from over. Russia faces oppression due its present power seeking regime. The people’s rights are averted by holding farce elections only giving the illusion of freedom. In addition, many of the countries that were under the Soviet bloc are still vastly influenced by Russia. It is important that this current generation remember what it is like to not have liberty in every aspect of life.
Communism, Fascism, or any other oppressive form of government can be held off through education and a free market system. Every one everywhere has natural rights that give liberty from becoming a slave to anyone and an opportunity to accomplish anything through their own efforts, which in turn improves society as a whole. Individual pursuit is what drives civilization to its greatest potential.
