Is it going to be so bad?: Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century

[atreyu42]

http://survivingpeakoil.com/preview....soviet_lessons

[Shakespear]

Re: Is it going to be so bad?: Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century

Orlov has a blog

http://cluborlov.blogspot.com/search...&max-results=3

[c1ue]

Re: Is it going to be so bad?: Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century

Orlov makes me look like a raving optimist.

I do agree that the massive debt overhang in the US will contribute to economic disaster, but that's still a far cry from no water pressure and trading vodka for gasoline.

The key is that in the US, there is still lots of individual wealth. In the Soviet Union, there was none.

Thus there will be parts of the US which suffer, but this suffering is relative to the previous prosperity. After all, living at the wealth standard of Poland (#38) when you were previously #1 in the world is a major comedown.

Russia in contrast had a 20ish standard of living, but all the wealth was in the state. When the state collapsed, people were left with their personal wealth - which is to say nothing.

[Shakespear]

Re: Is it going to be so bad?: Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century

Adopting "some" of the Soviet ways of living could help a lot of people weather this economic storm.

According to Buffett it will be a hurricane.

[jtabeb]

Re: Is it going to be so bad?: Post-Soviet Lessons for a Post-American Century

Orlov makes me look like a raving optimist.

I do agree that the massive debt overhang in the US will contribute to economic disaster, but that's still a far cry from no water pressure and trading vodka for gasoline.

The key is that in the US, there is still lots of individual wealth. In the Soviet Union, there was none.

Thus there will be parts of the US which suffer, but this suffering is relative to the previous prosperity. After all, living at the wealth standard of Poland (#38) when you were previously #1 in the world is a major comedown.

Russia in contrast had a 20ish standard of living, but all the wealth was in the state. When the state collapsed, people were left with their personal wealth - which is to say nothing.

I've found my true calling for the future, VODKA FARMER and fax machine salesman.