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How did the USA win the cold war???

Loxd4

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Im all for the USA in winning? But how did we really win? Everyone I talk to said it was because of the nuclear arms race....but i beg to differ...they can be that stupid to keep on making nuclear weapons when there about to go bankrupt....Ok 1/2 way in the cold war we both had enough nuclear and bio weapons to desroy the earth 2 times over....At the end of the war they had enought to destroy it 4 times over...why did the SSR keep on building weapons of mass destruction.....i know they had civil wars but thats not why they lost right??? They could have stop building weapon 1/2 way through the war and took some other country over and build there power but instead they died(SSR)???What were the factors of we winning the cold war???
 
The US won the cold war by forcing the USSR to spend to much time and so many resources on trying to keep up with us militarily that they bankrupted themselves and were not able to provide for their people.

Many will corrcectly argue that they would have bankrupted themselves eventually anyway - but forcing them to spend spend spend only hastened the event.
 
The question becomes, how was the USSR both required to expend resources and how was it restricted from gaining resources.

As a general rule, opression is less efficient than liberty. W/ opression, not only do you have to have someone to do waht needs to be done, they must also have a watchman to keep them from deviating. Then, often, the watchman needs some watching.
 
Simon W. Moon said:
The question becomes, how was the USSR both required to expend resources and how was it restricted from gaining resources.

As a general rule, opression is less efficient than liberty. W/ opression, not only do you have to have someone to do waht needs to be done, they must also have a watchman to keep them from deviating. Then, often, the watchman needs some watching.

Indeed. And a free market is always more productive than a command ecomomy-- the US was able to outpace the USSR militarily while also prodcing huge amounts of consumer goods.
 
I don't think the US played much part in the end to the cold war.
It was more to do with Gorbachov's Glasnost & Perestroika, or can't the average American, needing instead to believe it was down to Mr Raygun's efforts, accept that ?
I don't agree the arms race & some perceived lack of the Soviet's being unable to keep up in the arms race, brought this about. They had the capacity to destoy the USA many times over. What difference does it make at that point whether it's 20 times over or 50 times over ?
When you're dead you're dead !
 
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robin said:
I don't think the US played much part in the end to the cold war.
It was more to do with Gorbachov's Glasnost & Perestroika, or can't the average American, needing instead to believe it was down to Mr Raygun's efforts, accept that ?

Why did Gorby introduce Glasnost & Perestroika?
Hint: It wasnt because he was a Jeffersonian liberal.
 
M14 Shooter said:
Why did Gorby introduce Glasnost & Perestroika?
Hint: It wasnt because he was a Jeffersonian liberal.
Why do you Americans feel the need to take credit for everything that is positive ?
It's a little arrogant you know ;)
Gorbi could see strict communism mean't poverty. The Russian economy was in dire straights... has it ever been anything else under communism, plain & simple. He wasn't one of the old Russian conservative hawks like Cheney... uh sorry.. Breschnev I mean.
He realised it was time for big changes. Is that too simple to grasp ?
Let me explain...
RONALD REAGUN CAN TAKE NO CREDIT WHATSOEVER FOR THE ENDING OF THE COLD WAR !
Got that !
 
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robin said:
Why do you Americans feel the need to take credit for everything that is positive ? It's a little arrogant you know ;)
And why do you non-Americans balk at giving America the credit she is due?

Gorbi could see strict communism mean't poverty. The Russian economy was in dire straights...
And -why- was that?
Did that have -anything- to do with their spending on the cold war?

He realised it was time for big changes.
Big changes, brought in as a desperate attempt to save the Soviet state from collapse...
...a collapse hastened by the fact that the Soviet economy simply could not compete with ours, on any level.

RONALD REAGUN CAN TAKE NO CREDIT WHATSOEVER FOR THE ENDING OF THE COLD WAR !
BS. Reagan kicked in the door of a shaky house, and it collapsed.
 
robin said:
I don't think the US played much part in the end to the cold war.
It was more to do with Gorbachov's Glasnost & Perestroika, or can't the average American, needing instead to believe it was down to Mr Raygun's efforts, accept that ?
I don't agree the arms race & some perceived lack of the Soviet's being unable to keep up in the arms race, brought this about. They had the capacity to destoy the USA many times over. What difference does it make at that point whether it's 20 times over or 50 times over ?
When you're dead you're dead !

First off, I have serious doubts that there's any single thing that can be pointed to as the main cause of the USSR's fall. Many things all came together in their own idiosyncratic ways to bring about the history that happened.

Second, there's more to an arms race than merely buying more nukes.
 
M14 Shooter said:
And why do you non-Americans balk at giving America the credit she is due?
I give US credit where credit due. It simply is not due in this instance.
M14 Shooter said:
And -why- was that?
Did that have -anything- to do with their spending on the cold war?
The Soviets had been spending on the cold war for 45 years so
Q)what was new or different in the 80's ?
A)It was the Gorbi factor that was new & not present before.

M14 Shooter said:
Big changes, brought in as a desperate attempt to save the Soviet state from collapse...
...a collapse hastened by the fact that the Soviet economy simply could not compete with ours, on any level.
Yes but again I say the Communist economy hadn't been able to compete with yours for many decades so..
Q)what was new & not present before ?
A)It was the Gorbi factor that was new & not present before.
M14 Shooter said:
BS. Reagan kicked in the door of a shaky house, and it collapsed.
Again I say the USA had had the capability to destroy the Soviet Union many times over & vica versa for the previous 40 years so what was so special about Reagun's kicking then ?
It was nothing new & the as I've said, Gorbi brought about economic changes for economic reasons... not military ones. After all, they could destroy the US many times over so what did they have to fear militarily ?
We all know SDI was based on pseudo science cooked up by defense contracters that sponsored Reagun & were terrified of the peace scare that Gorbi had innitiated or tried to at Reyjavic except Reagun scuppered the talks.
I'm afraid M14 you've been thoroughly propagandised by Fox News I pressume.

Just one other thing.. why don't you put a picture of a nice fast car or bike or a lovely guitar or a beautiful woman or something for your avatar instead of a killing machine ?
Do you have a small penis or something ?
 
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Loxd4 said:
Im all for the USA in winning? But how did we really win? Everyone I talk to said it was because of the nuclear arms race....but i beg to differ...they can be that stupid to keep on making nuclear weapons when there about to go bankrupt....Ok 1/2 way in the cold war we both had enough nuclear and bio weapons to desroy the earth 2 times over....At the end of the war they had enought to destroy it 4 times over...why did the SSR keep on building weapons of mass destruction.....i know they had civil wars but thats not why they lost right??? They could have stop building weapon 1/2 way through the war and took some other country over and build there power but instead they died(SSR)???What were the factors of we winning the cold war???

Soviets didn't have an efficient enough economy to produce the wealth to outspend the US in an arms race. Reagan's Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative forced Gorbachev into making reforms to the Soviet economy. See the reason for Gorbachev's Peristrokia and Glasnost was his goal was to reform the Soviet economy to make it more efficient, so it could produce more wealth to keep up with US military spending. Gorbachev was a hard liner toward the West and Yuri Andropov would never bring him on board and promote him if he was a wimp or not hostile to the West. Gorbachev talked tough and meant it. The problem came for Gorbachev was when he faced a US that was throwing it's full economy into a massive military buildup and plus initiating a program to negate the Soviet nuclear arsenal and give the US strategic superiority over the Soviet Union. He knew, that at that time, the Soviet economy did not have the efficiency of the US economy, so he was forced into these reforms of Glasnost and Periostrokia which had the unintentional effect of setting in motion the destruction of the USSR.
 
Also, more and more the world was passing the USSR by. Their own currency system was of no value outside its perimeters. Countries and territories in the Soviet Bloc were getting frustrated, poorer and more rebellious and the powers could not keep up.
Simply, it was time.
 
I wonder what would have happend if they would have stuck with the ideas that happend I think prague..


It was the late 70s I think, and for a short period it was market liberalized and there was tremendous freedom there,



its growth rate was fast too..



I wonder what would have happend if the soviet block adopted that philophy (I don't know too much about it, I'll look it up), instead of shutting it all down.
 
Hmm there certainly had to be some error in the soviet way of handling their economy. Nevertheless they had amazing growth between 1930s and 1960s if I am not mistaken. That’s with the effect of ww2 on Russian soil. Of course there were soviet construction projects that used terrible forced labour methods.

Personally I blame the totalitarian government. When the goal of production isn’t to satisfy a “need” but to make good looking statistical numbers things have to go wrong. Not a healthy situation when people can’t mention their ideas of improvement because of fear of retaliations. Funny story is how the Chinese government regulated a certain amount of bathtubs. They ordered them in tons not a specific amount. The result was a few heavy bathtubs, but they made their quota. Perhaps not the most efficient solution for satisfying the needs of the people.

So basically it’s my opinion that the Soviet Union “lost” the cold war more than the US “won” it.
 
Reagan spent them under the table. Just read the transcript of the summit in Reknyavik. And it wasn't all nuclear arms. It was also star wars. Gorby said as much at the summit. There were some good interviews of Schultz and Weinburger after Reagan died. These guys were the players, I'll take their word for it over "I hate America and everything she did or didn't do for ever and ever, Amen" Robin's word.
 
The Soviets had been spending on the cold war for 45 years so
Q)what was new or different in the 80's ?

You mean from the 40s? As in why did it take 45 years for the USSR to fall?
The fact that in 1945 the USSR had not been competeing with the US fior 45 years. Obviously, something the economic and then political collaplse of a large and powerful nation is going to take a while -- 45 years or so.

As far as Gorby goes... he was just the last driver on a bus that had been crasing for 45 years. What happened would have happened no matter what he did; his actions were a desperate attempt to save the USSr and nothing more.

Yes but again I say the Communist economy hadn't been able to compete with yours for many decades so..
Q)what was new & not present before ?

As in :why did it finally happen in the 80s and not in the 70s or 60s or 50s?

The fact that in 1945 the USSR had not been competeing with the US fior 45 years. Obviously, something the economic and then political collaplse of a large and powerful nation is going to take a while -- 45 years or so.

As far as Gorby goes... he was just the last driver on a bus that had been crasing for 45 years. What happened would have happened no matter what he did; his actions were a desperate attempt to save the USSr and nothing more.

Again I say the USA had had the capability to destroy the Soviet Union many times over & vica versa for the previous 40 years so what was so special about Reagun's kicking then ?
Reagan forced them to spend more than they had been on their military, necessary to keep us with us in our expansion thru the 80s.

Ever see a marathon? In the last mile or so, one of the lead runners will challenge the others near him by stepping up the pace. the other runners will either keep up or concede defeat. Reagan stepped up the pace and the USSR caved,

It was nothing new & the as I've said, Gorbi brought about economic changes for economic reasons... not military ones.
Gorby did what he did in a desperate attempt to save the USSR and nothing more. he had to so -something- to free up his economy to ward off Reagan's 'attack' - but the USSR still collapsed.

After all, they could destroy the US many times over so what did they have to fear militarily ?


We all know SDI was based on pseudo science cooked up by defense contracters that sponsored Reagun & were terrified of the peace scare that Gorbi had innitiated or tried to at Reyjavic except Reagun scuppered the talks
LOL

Reagan: Lets get rid of all the nukes
Gorbi: You have to shelve SDI
Reagan: Nope. But we'll give you the technology
Gorbi: No deal.

GORBI, not Reagan "scuppered" the talks.

I'm afraid M14 you've been thoroughly propagandised by Fox News I pressume.
Oh yes -- THAT'S it!!
This, compared to you, whose revisionist history eminates forth from your nether reigons.

Just one other thing.. why don't you put a picture of a nice fast car or bike or a lovely guitar or a beautiful woman or something for your avatar instead of a killing machine ?
Do you have a small penis or something ?
That was mature.
Did you just get into of JR High, or is this your 2nd year?
 
The US won the cold war by pumping fear into the western people. The soviet threat was never really there. All the fear was due to politicians who wanted to make private enterprises profit off stupid peoples fear.
 
stalin_was_a_nice_being said:
The US won the cold war by pumping fear into the western people. The soviet threat was never really there. All the fear was due to politicians who wanted to make private enterprises profit off stupid peoples fear.

I guess the US wrote the Communist Manifesto? The Soviets never took over all those countries in Eastern Europe? I don't know about you but I walked around East Berlin in 1986. I went through checkpoint Charlie. I threw snowballs at East German guard towers that were there to keep people IN. I have to ask, do you really believe what you write, are you just joking, or is it as conscious decision to spread disinformation? Because no one believes your lies.
 
Just one other thing.. why don't you put a picture of a nice fast car or bike or a lovely guitar or a beautiful woman or something for your avatar instead of a killing machine ?
I'd say you missed the point of his sig. Man is the true "killing machine," whether he uses guns or his bare hands.
 
stalin_was_a_nice_being said:
The US won the cold war by pumping fear into the western people. The soviet threat was never really there. All the fear was due to politicians who wanted to make private enterprises profit off stupid peoples fear.

Yes. It was all in our imagination.

[poundingshoe]"Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you!!"[/poundingshoe]
Nikita S Khrushchev
17 Nov 56
 
why did the soviets spend so much on it anyway?



We fear suitcase nukes now more than ever, I'm sure just the threat of soviet nuclear annilation was bad enough.
 
M14 Shooter said:
You mean from the 40s? As in why did it take 45 years for the USSR to fall?
The fact that in 1945 the USSR had not been competeing with the US fior 45 years. Obviously, something the economic and then political collaplse of a large and powerful nation is going to take a while -- 45 years or so.

As far as Gorby goes... he was just the last driver on a bus that had been crasing for 45 years. What happened would have happened no matter what he did; his actions were a desperate attempt to save the USSr and nothing more.
As in :why did it finally happen in the 80s and not in the 70s or 60s or 50s?

The fact that in 1945 the USSR had not been competeing with the US fior 45 years. Obviously, something the economic and then political collaplse of a large and powerful nation is going to take a while -- 45 years or so.

As far as Gorby goes... he was just the last driver on a bus that had been crasing for 45 years. What happened would have happened no matter what he did; his actions were a desperate attempt to save the USSr and nothing more.

Reagan forced them to spend more than they had been on their military, necessary to keep us with us in our expansion thru the 80s.

Ever see a marathon? In the last mile or so, one of the lead runners will challenge the others near him by stepping up the pace. the other runners will either keep up or concede defeat. Reagan stepped up the pace and the USSR caved,

Gorby did what he did in a desperate attempt to save the USSR and nothing more. he had to so -something- to free up his economy to ward off Reagan's 'attack' - but the USSR still collapsed.
LOL

Reagan: Lets get rid of all the nukes
Gorbi: You have to shelve SDI
Reagan: Nope. But we'll give you the technology
Gorbi: No deal.

GORBI, not Reagan "scuppered" the talks.


Oh yes -- THAT'S it!!
This, compared to you, whose revisionist history eminates forth from your nether reigons.

That was mature.
Did you just get into of JR High, or is this your 2nd year?
It was Gorbi that suggested making huge arms reductions 1st.. not Reagun.
What do you know about the SDI psuedo science that qualifies you to snigger at my remarks ?
Want to talk physics ?
Gorbi didn't have his back to the wall in the military sense as you keep insisting. How few times do you think his ability to nuke you to dust would have to be before his back was to the wall ?
Sticking a picture of guns as an avatar is very immature.
It is ludicrous to claim US won cold war.
Only a certian kind of American that seems able to be quite so deluded & big headed. Usually the type that thinks it clever to point pictures of guns at people.
The cold war simply came to an end because of a process initiated by Gorbachov that had far more to do with the inherent failings of Communism than with anything the US did.
 
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It was Gorbi that suggested making huge arms reductions 1st.. not Reagun.
And It was Gorbi that walked away from the table When Reagan proposed a 100% reduction in strategic nuclear weapons. 100%.
Why?
The very real fear that we would build SDI and the USSR would be powerless to compete.

What do you know about the SDI psuedo science that qualifies you to snigger at my remarks ?
I know at least as mush as anyone else and more than most. Fact of the matter is the USSR was --deathly-- afraid that we would build it -- and they must have thought we could, else they woudl not be afreaid of it.

Gorbi didn't have his back to the wall in the military sense as you keep insisting. How few times do you think his ability to nuke you to dust would have to be before his back was to the wall ?
Sure he did. It doesnt matter how many nukes you have because you'll never use them. As such, the number of nukes you have is meaningless when determing military power relative to another nuclear state.

Sticking a picture of guns as an avatar is very immature.
I see. So this IS your first year of junior high.
I guess I better speak dow to your level-
Can you scratch your chin for me - my balls itch.

It is ludicrous to claim US won cold war.
Becasuse YOu say so? LOL
Tell us:
The Cold War was a confrontation between the US and USSR.
The USSR lost.
How did the US not win?

Only a certian kind of American that seems able to be quite so deluded & big headed. Usually the type that thinks it clever to point pictures of guns at people.
How do you point a picture of a gun at someone over the internet? :doh

The cold war simply came to an end because of a process initiated by Gorbachov that had far more to do with the inherent failings of Communism than with anything the US did.
You denying reality does not in any way negate that reality.
 
M14 Shooter said:
And It was Gorbi that walked away from the table When Reagan proposed a 100% reduction in strategic nuclear weapons. 100%.
Why?
The very real fear that we would build SDI and the USSR would be powerless to compete.
Rubbish. Gorbi suggested massive reductions but reagun didn't wouldn't take up the offer unless he could keep SDI. Why ? because he had to keep the defense contracters that sponsor him satisfied or no more money for the next election campaign.

You know nothing of why SDI cannot work.
Powerfull lasers from earth ionise the air turning it into plasma thereby blocking the laser beam. Heating of the air by lasers also causes twinking. Lasers aimed from in space require large parabolic mirrors to make them parallel. The practical problems of pointing those mirrors & of having a laser in space of such power are enormous. Besides missiles can be painted white or have reflective foil protective layer.
The alternative to lasers would be charged particle beams, but they diverge due to repulsion of like particles. There are other reasons SDI was science fiction but you've had enough of my time simpleton.

As regards guns & internet... Let me explain I said PICTURES of guns.. get it ?

You mention the cold war was a confrontation between east & west.. seems like both sides won then. I mean how can you possibly claim to be the only victor ?
Especially as the Soviet Union has 70% of the world's gas reserves & the USA owes 7 trillion bucks LOL
You are being shafted by US arms companies making the government spend on the military as if the cold war is still on by spending millions lobbying in the pentagon, so I think the soviets have gained more from the end of cold war than you have !
Take a look .... http://www.motherjones.com/news/special_reports/arms/lobbying.html
They spent millions lobbying for the Iraq war now they get billions in return LOL you suckers. I hope you like paying taxes. I suggest you get some of it back. Just buy some shares in Northrop Grumman or general dynamic lOL !

I've explained once why the Soviet economy needed glasnost & peristoika. It was the fundamental weakness in communist economies brought about the demise of the Soviet Union along with Gorbi having the sense to opt for reform. WTF has that to do with the USA ?
Don't bother to answer.. please... it's like listening to an 8 year old that won't accept they're talking garbage.
I am done with your 'all American' macho man bullshit. You're posts are so hollow & ridiculous. You will get no further replies from me.
 
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robin said:
Rubbish. Gorbi suggested massive reductions but reagun didn't wouldn't take up the offer unless he could keep SDI.
This is, of course, an out-and-out lie.
Reagan offered 100% elimination. Gorby said no.

Why ? because he had to keep the defense contracters that sponsor him satisfied or no more money for the next election campaign.
Um... This was 1986. Reagan wasnt running again.

You know nothing of why SDI cannot work.
Oh, I am -so- ready to be enlighted (by a middle-school student)!

Powerfull lasers from earth ionise the air turning it into plasma thereby blocking the laser beam. Heating of the air by lasers also causes twinking.
The lasers were to engage the missiles outside the atmosphere.
Whoops.

Lasers aimed from in space require large parabolic mirrors to make them parallel.
Light rays from a laser, any laser, EVERY lasers, are already parallel. No parabolic reflectors required.

The practical problems of pointing those mirrors & of having a laser in space of such power are enormous.
See above.
If we can put a man on the moon wit slide rules, we can put lasers in space.

The alternative to lasers would be charged particle beams, but they diverge due to repulsion of like particles. There are other reasons SDI was science fiction but you've had enough of my time simpleton.
If they;re anything like the reasons you've already given...
...then, clearly, you're the simpleton.

As regards guns & internet... Let me explain I said PICTURES of guns.. get it ?
Yes you did.
And you said "ponting pictures of guns at people".
Still wondering how you do that on the internet.

You mention the cold war was a confrontation between east & west.. seems like both sides won then. I mean how can you possibly claim to be the only victor ?
The Soviet bloc lost, as evidenced by the fact that it no longer exists -no way to argue that they won anything in any way. And yes, other countries befinitted fron the victory and other countries helped, but the vast majority of the work was done by the US.

Especially as the Soviet Union has 70% of the world's gas reserves & the USA owes 7 trillion bucks LOL
The USSR has 0% of te gas reserves... and that $7T is primarily due to social spending, which --always- outstrips defense spending.

You are being shafted by US arms companies making the government spend on the military as if the cold war is still on by spending millions lobbying in the pentagon, so I think the soviets have gained more from the end of cold war than you have !
The USSR no longer exists. they have gained nothing.

I've explained once why the Soviet economy needed glasnost & peristoika. It was the fundamental weakness in communist economies brought about the demise of the Soviet Union along with Gorbi having the sense to opt for reform.
And WHY did the USSR need economic reform?
Because it could not compete with the US, which was forcing it to spend FAR more on defense than if could afford to. if the USSR did not have to spend so much on its military, it most certainly would have lasted FAR longer that it did; that the USSR fell when it did because of its vast overspending on its military is most certainly a function of US actions and policies in the cold war.

WTF has that to do with the USA ?
Seems prertty clear to me.

Don't bother to answer.. please...
Whats the matter?
Dont like being shown that you;re wring?

I am done with your 'all American' macho man bullshit. You're posts are so hollow & ridiculous. You will get no further replies from me.
Ah yes... running away from a lost battle.
Typical.
 
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