The Soviet Union did not collapse due to actions President Reagan or the actions of any President of the United States In fact, President Roosevelt, via the Lend Lease Act during WW II, helped the Soviet Union and Great Britain withstand the onslaught of Nazi Germany. It helped win the war. (History.com, OurDocuments.gov, FDRLibrary.org.)
The Soviet Union, according to Mikhail Gorbachev, collapsed after and as a direct result of the meltdown at Chernobyl. Andropov, Gorbachev, and other members of the Central Committee realized that not only could they not hide the truth, but that the Soviet system was failing and doomed to failure. This is discussed in detail at Slate and at Faultlines.
Political and economic systems are fundamentally different in the United States than they were in the Soviet Union. But Fox News, Breitbart, and other right wing media are propaganda networks and not unlike Pravda and Izvestia. President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Presidential Advisor (and son-in-law) Jared Kushner, Attorney General William Barr, and the other senior members of the United States government, are different from members of the Soviet Central Committee, but they are focused on preserving their power. And Trump’s friend Russian President Vladimir Putin is, of course, a product of the Soviet Central Committee.
Today, September 20, 2020, we now see medical practitioners beginning to understand how to treat people with the COVID-19. But we have seen 200,000 Americans die from the virus. Americans are dying at a rate over 1,000 per day: we expect over 50,000 additional deaths before election day, and another 220,000 deaths before the President is inaugurated on January 20, 2021. That is a total of 420,000 before the inauguration.
That’s about the population of Oakland, CA, Minneapolis, MN, or Tampa, FL. It is the size of Rochester, NY and Salt Lake City, UT combined.
The COVID-19 infection rate would be cut dramatically if the President told people to wear masks. But he doesn’t. Dr. Redfield, of the CDC, says “Wearing masks saves lives.” Trump says, “What does Redfield know? You don’t need to wear a mask. The virus will go away.” (NBC News)
The Republican response to the Coronavirus leaves the Soviet response to Chernobyl in the dust. Firstly, Only 60 people died in the meltdown and in the next few months. Estimates of total deaths from the meltdown range up to 4,000 in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia and another 12,000 to 16,000 in Europe between the meltdown in ‘86 and 2005. That’s 16,000 to 20,000 in Europe over 20 years, not 400,000 in America in less than one year. Secondly, once the Soviets realized that they couldn’t cover it up, they took action. Trump doubles down. Sure he gets tested, but for the rest of us – we can go to hell.
Add to that the visceral hatred of Americans who are gays, liberals, smart women, or Democrats, or Blacks, Hispanics, Latinx, Asians, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, etc, that Fox, talk radio, the Alt-Right promote. This can easily, I think, result in the secession of Texas or California from the United States. If Trump wins and McConnell holds control of the Senate then California may secede. If Trump loses and McConnell loses control of the Senate then Texas may secede. If California secedes then Texas will follow. If Texas secedes then Dixie will follow.
Meanwhile, If Trump is re-elected the United States will withdraw from NATO. This is what Putin wants. The leaders of the NATO countries, except for Endogan, don’t bother to hide their disdain for Trump. So like any 3-year old, he will take his ball and go home, especially when his “friend” and father figure, Vladimir Putin, tells him it’s ok. Putin will tell Trump to let California secede, and New York. That way NY’s AG can’t reach him.
The world will adjust, just as it did after the British Empire collapsed in the aftermath of WW II and as it did after the Soviet Union collapsed.
Meanwhile, early in the pandemic most of the deaths were in NYC, NJ and California. Most of the current victims are in Dixie, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, … Red states. Trump Is no longer letting his “enemies” die. He is holding “Superspreader” events, disguised as campaign rallies, in states he must win. He is killing his followers.