A Successful 1991 Coup

Israel

Israel

OK, I am sure that this was posted dozens of time before me, but nevertheless what if the 1991 Soviet coup d'etat attempt succeeded? Would the Gang of Eight really be able to bring order? Would they execute Gorbachev, Yeltsin? Cold War?
 

GeographyDude

I think this is an excellent hinge point.

I remember reading about some super free enterprise, super pro-capitalist University of Chicago professor guy who decades ago said, Hey, as much as I like capitalism, some things are just natural monopolies and that's the fact of the matter. And I understand the guy went on to conclude that we'd be better off with the government running these particular markets and economic sectors in at least a somewhat open and democratic fashion.

So, maybe these old line communists realize change in the air, and it's already way past the point of trying to handle the situation with some minimalist change. But, and heck largely just through good luck, they better handle the transition quite a bit better.
 
Last edited:

Lost Freeway

Banned
GeographyDude said:
I think this is an excellent hinge point.

I remember reading about some free enterprise, super pro-capitalist University of Chicago professor guy who decades ago said, Hey, as much as I like capitalism, some things are just natural monopolies and that's the fact of the matter. He went on to conclude that we'd be better off with the government running these particular markets and economic sectors in at least a somewhat open and democratic fashion.

So, maybe these old line communists realize change in the air, it's already way past this point. But, heck large part through just good luck, they better handle the transition.
Click to expand...

I doubt the Gang of Eight would have enough ideological flexibility to enact reforms.
 
Meadow

Meadow

You probably just end up with an uglier, bigger and more nuclear Yugoslavia-style collapse of a country. Possibly one that's cut short because there are nukes involved and NATO just goes 'NOPE' and steps in in a much bigger way than Yugoslavia.
 

Deleted member 94708

Meadow said:
You probably just end up with an uglier, bigger and more nuclear Yugoslavia-style collapse of a country. Possibly one that's cut short because there are nukes involved and NATO just goes 'NOPE' and steps in in a much bigger way than Yugoslavia.
Click to expand...

This.

By 1991 the majority of the USSR's citizens are once again thinking of themselves as Russians, Ukrainians, Estonians, etc. You can hold them together at gunpoint for a while, but this will have diminishing returns, especially as it will soon reach the point where even the Russian heartlands are sick of paying the butcher's bill to keep unwilling minority groups in the country. Given that there will still be no money to do things like pay rocket scientists and secure nuclear materials, and no US aid will be forthcoming or accepted, sooner or later someone is probably going to lay hands on something that goes BOOM! in unfortunately large fashion and use it. Whether NATO can step in or not is largely dependent on where the rest of said boom-going things are.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top