Factors contributing to the collapse of the Soviet Union

¶ … U.S.S.R., Russia, and China: A Comparison

Factors Contributing to the demise of the U.S.S.R.

Many factors contributed to the downfall of the U.S.S.R. One of the main things was the lack of leadership that the country had. This is not to say that it did not have a leader, only to say that the leadership itself had difficulties that the leaders tried to hide but ultimately could not. It was not the people that were flawed, although they were certainly not perfect, but it was the leadership ideals that the country held that were the problem. This was the main reason that the country fell, but a lack of leadership contributed to a great many other things that worked against the country as well.

For example, divorce, corruption, alcoholism, and economic problems were prevalent, and no one was really doing anything to prevent them from getting worse. This helped work toward the demise of the country, because none of the people were very happy with the way things were. They wanted things changed, and so there were rebellions and other problems that often come from poor leadership and unhappy individuals who are forced to live by rules that they don't agree with.

The economic problems were some of the worst problems that the country faced. There was not enough money and not enough goods, and everyone suffered. One of the main things that caused this problem with the economy was the lack of technology that the country had. Another problem was excessive military spending that allowed so much money and provisions to go to the military that there was nothing left for the citizens to have. This made them very bitter, and it set the economy on the verge of collapse.

The position of the U.S.S.R. In the international marketplace was weakening, too, and this was another contributor to the eventual collapse. The country really wasn't friendly with other countries, and because of this it was often difficult to trade or exchange any kind of ideas of goods and services. This put the country well behind many others when it came to technology, and technology is not used only for military applications and computers, but also for growing and harvesting crops, among other things. The U.S.S.R. essentially brought about their own collapse by turning down and friendships or help from other countries, and by making their people miserable by not allowing them any kind of real freedom, such as the freedoms that Americans and others enjoy.

2) Russia's Difficulties with Establishing Institutions

Russia doesn't do very well when it comes to establishing institutions. It doesn't matter if these institutions are democratic or not, they still fail miserably. I think this is because the Russian government still hasn't realized how to treat people properly. There have been many changes in Russia, and many of the things that they do now have become more democratic, but they still run their country very differently from the way that America and many other countries are run. That is not necessarily bad, and there are probably plenty of people, in Russia and elsewhere, that think the Russians are doing things exactly right.

However, just because some think that things are working well doesn't mean that they are, and the failure of many Russian institutions is indicative of the fact that things aren't working the way that they really should be. It seems as though the Russians are still very concerned about control, and they haven't learned that people will police themselves and their neighbors to some extent if they are simply left along long enough to do it. That is not to say that there shouldn't be laws and rules. Obviously, there has to be some form of law and government in any society.

It does seem, though, that too much control can actually have the opposite of the intended effect, and can actually cause people to rebel and cause more trouble than they would have if they would have been allowed the freedom to make their own choices. Nobody likes choices that don't feel like choices because somebody has given a list of bad ideas and forced you to pick one. This is what the Russians live with a great deal of the time, and it is no wonder that they get upset, and that the institutions that the government creates are not utilized, and therefore don't survive.

Yeltsin and Putin have both tried to help with this problem by appearing concerned about the people and trying to make themselves more accessible. They have tried to created more freedoms for the average Russian citizen, so that things can be discussed and compromises can be reached. However, not all of their efforts have been successful, and Russia remains troubled it's their lack of ability to establish efficient institutions.

4) China Compared with the Soviet Union

In China, the economy has been reformed, but the political system remains the same. I think that this might have helped China out, but that in the long run, both systems need to be reformed to really keep the country moving forward. Their political system is stuck in the past, and there will come a day when the people of China will decide that things need to change. It will be much more difficult and traumatic if it is forced than it would have been if the political leaders would have done it willingly.

China's near future is interesting, but it may not necessarily be accurate. No one can really know what will happen in the next 20 minutes, much less 20 years. I realize that people still need to plan for the future, but I think that China's political system and refusal to reform it will cause a great deal of trouble well before 20 years have come and gone. I base this opinion on the fact that it seems as though the masses will get tired enough of the political system to change it before then.

There is such a great deal of unrest in the world today that it seems like every country is having problems with terrorist, killers, weather, or some other problem, either man-made or natural. This is a good time for something to happen with China's political system, because unrest often breeds more unrest. It is possible that China will sail through this period in history without a problem, but it seems more likely that the country will experience political difficulties that will need to be corrected before China can actually move forward and attempt to use the fruits of their new and better economy in the international marketplace.