I think you accidentally blockquoted the whole thing. Probably can fix by adding a new line after each quote block.

Completely wrong.

I’d say, maybe, oversimplified. Until the later stages, no country was as extremely embedded in global economies as has occurred between the late 20th century and now. The soviets did embed themselves in places where they saw possible advantage over the West, saw opportunity for vassal states, and engaged in some of the aul’ imperialism. Even in Eastern Europe, it wasn’t as embedded as the US economy has become at this point. Greater levels of industrialization and not being dependent on high tech sectors that are largely US-controlled, as well as proximity to the EU made the economic stagnation easier to weather.

Also we’re talking about Russia, not the USSR. And they certainly did make radical changes almost overnight when forced.

Sorry. I had it framed in my head as a comparison between the breaking up of the USSR and potential dissolution of the US.

My point is we need to untangle. We are not ‘unscathed’ as it is now, on the contrary, we are suffering bcs of them. The sooner we dump them the better.

As someone living in the US, with a hard lean into anarchism, I absolutely agree with all of that. Allowing the US, with its push for unfettered, neoliberal capitalism to dig itself in and influence policy has caused extraordinary harm. Since the fall of the USSR, economic decision-makers in the US have seen no reason to improve the lives of the average citizen nor reasons not to intentionally bleed them dry for profit.

If you don’t root out neoliberalism in Europe, the same will happen there (look at the UK).