New Cold War Without Honor

Barry, My Liege :

One of the defining issues of the Post World War II era was the Cold War.

In addition to occasional shooting wars, the Cold War was mostly a quiet contest for economic supremacy fought by countries with opposing economic ideologies.

The Socialist countries were led by the Soviet Union and China with their similar Socialist economic systems.

The West was led by the United States and Western Europe with its Free Market Capitalistic systems.

Partisans on each side were convinced that only their system would bring the greatest good to the largest number of people.

It was a moral struggle as well as a political battle. The spies and politicians of the Era claimed the moral high ground and its attendant honors.

Defeating the opponent in a political contest or covert operation of that Cold War became a badge of Honor.

However, the differentiating economic structures which defined the era have pretty much disappeared.

It appears as Karl Marx predicted; namely, the two systems have converged.

The new system contains the remnants of a Free Market system, but has slowly morphed into an Oligarchic model with great wealth and income concentrations.

Both the Russian and United States economies have become similar Oligarchies.

Read details of Russia's system here : http://rt.com/business/russia-world-household-wealth-944/

Read details of the United States' system here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wealth_inequality_in_the_United_States

Today we can see some of the vestiges of that Era's Cold War tactics being reconstituted in today's world.

But, the two competing systems have similar ideologies.

In this case, there is no moral good or honor to be claimed in any victory.

The New Cold War is simply a turf battle between competing gangs of Oligarchs.

Your faithful servant,