How Did The Soviet Union Dissolve?

 For thirty years....no one much talked about this or made this into simple story.

Around 1985, when Gorbachev was called upon to be the next Premier....the chief problem existing was economic stagnation.  Some people would argue that the stagnation had been around for three decades....but was actually in a bigger spiral in the mid-80s.

So by 1990, the Union was finding itself no longer operational as one nation state.

Estonia laid down the first card....1988, just saying it was better off without any connection to the USSR.

In the spring of 1990....Lithuania followed.

The 1991 failed coup, ramped up the remaining elements, and the USSR was dissolved.  What existed then was a bunch of independent countries.  

Some had better economic systems, because they could manage things within their state.  Some had marginally better economic systems because of incompetence within the state apparatus.  

Putin today?  He's mostly in the belief that Moscow can be the 'answer'....that 'limited democracy' exist (enough to keep you going), and that some type of rivalry between Russia and the EU exists.  

To be honest....the EU helps and hinders trade, and if you asked most working-class people....for every good thing the EU does....they do a crappy thing at the same time.  Russians kinda hint that same factor over Moscow/Putin.

If you tour around Estonia today....you'd say it's mostly like Finland, and existing as a fairly relaxed capitalistic state....without a lot of meddling/rule making.

Most Ukrainians wanted that same deal.  If you asked which mattered most....economic freedom probably ranked higher than some idiot Moscow 'boss' trying to run your business/life.

If you asked people around old USSR, how they'd feel about re-assembling the USSR....I would imagine 90-percent would say that's the last thing they'd like to bring back.  

So as you sip your beer tonight, listening to the various 'Doctor Dooms' discuss the invasion....remember that the dissolving of the Soviet Union came because of economic incompetence.  Putin riding into 'town' on a white stallion and talking about his Moscow stuff (the big lecture) will save people.....probably won't sell that well.