perfidy

Nat from I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts, is back from his self-imposed exile (some would call it "vacation") in the American Southwest. He has left in our comments this thought in response to our discussion on Reagan/Thatcher's role in toppling the Eastern Bloc and ending the Soviet Union.

Hey, John--this is related to a subject from further down on the page related to Reagan et al and the Cold War. 

The weaknesses of the Soviet bloc economies did not develop until the mid 1970s. The period of detente allowed the communists countries to attempt to solidify some bases of popular support by introducing some elements of consumer production. Furthermore, they attempted to engage in more legitimate finance in order to gain loans from international banks. Correspondingly, these countries lowered their investment in arms production. However, they were always limited in their economic performance. Reagan et al took advantage of these NEW CIRCUMSTANCES in order to bankrupt the communist economies. 

My point: the necessary conditions for "winning the Cold War" did not exist before Detente. No American leader could have done what Reagan had done because the consumerization of communist economies had not yet occurred. Even conservative stallwarts like Kissinger were prepared to compromise with the Soviet Union in order to assure US survival. 

(see Kaser, Economic History of Eastern Europe, 3 vols, 1986.)

Well, then. Good point. Still, I can't really envision Jimmy Carter, Jerry Brown, or Walt Mondale going down the same road with any aplomb. Reagan did come from show business and timing, as they say, is everything.