An interesting question about the Cold War(s)

image of dominos falling

There is an interesting question that is seldom asked. After the collapse fo the Cold War there should have been a peace dividend, winding up of NATO and a reduction in armed conflict in the world. In fact armed expenditure by US has increased and wars have expanded. Conflict with China has been described as a ‘new’ cold war.

However the obvious question is: if the consequences of the collapse of Soviet Union and end of ‘cold war’ were not in accordance with the underlying theory of what the cold war was about then perhaps the theory of the cold war is what was wrong. If the Cold war was not a fight against communism but say, a geo strategic encounter for instance, the collapse of the Soviet Union would not end military expenditure but would signal the emergence of an opportunity say for global dominance. Whatever one’s preferred choice of revision the one thing that cannot stand is the traditional explanations of the Cold War. Yet Western academia has studiously avoided any revisionist thinking.

This ability to maintain one’s position despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary would seriously impress Donald Trump.