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The Berlin Wall wasn’t the only barrier to fall after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. Traditional barriers to the flow of money, trade, people and ideas also fell.
During the Cold War, we were interested because we were scared that Russia and the United States were going to go to war. We were scared that Russia was going to take over the world. Every country became a battleground.
What we see today is an American economy that has boomed because of policies and developments of the 1950s and ’60s: the interstate-highway system, massive funding for science and technology, a public-education system that was the envy of the world and generous immigration policies.
The great drama of Russian history has been between its state and society. Put simply, Russia has always had too much state and not enough society.
Politics and power is a realm of relative influence.
In a world awash in debt, power shifts to creditors.
Culture follows power.
It’s not possible for two countries to be the leading dominant political power at the same time.
In a very weak economy, when you say ‘cut government spending,’ what you mean is you’re laying off school teachers and you’re de-funding various programs that put money into the economy. This means you have more unemployed people that then draw unemployment benefits and don’t pay taxes.
The American dream seems to be thriving in Europe not at home.