This article is a response to historian Niall Ferguson's comparison of the United States to the Soviet Union, arguing that we live in 'late Soviet America' [8fa84f98]. The author, Jonah Goldberg, disagrees with the analogy and highlights the differences between the two countries. While acknowledging America's problems, such as deaths of despair, runaway debt, and a sclerotic government, Goldberg argues that the comparison is flawed [8fa84f98].
Goldberg points out that America is dealing with qualitatively different issues than the Soviet Union, and the problems we face come from the opposite direction [8fa84f98]. He criticizes the analogy in relation to China, stating that China is not an ideological rival committed to Marxism-Leninism. He agrees that China is a serious competitor militarily, but the economic and technological competition is different [8fa84f98]. Goldberg concludes that while America has its faults, it is not morally equivalent to the Soviet Union and reasserting American principles would go a long way in solving the problems we face [8fa84f98].
In a recent article by Helen Andrews in The American Conservative, the author argues that the comparison made by historian Niall Ferguson doesn't go far enough and that the United States in 2024 shares even more similarities with late Soviet Russia in 1987 [02b061b3]. Andrews highlights several points of similarity, including gerontocratic leadership, a bloated government, lack of trust in institutions, high death rates, and a bizarre ideology [02b061b3]. The author also points out that the American healthcare sector is the most Soviet aspect of the economy, with inflated costs and little value [02b061b3]. Andrews criticizes the higher education system and the reliance on vice industries like legalized weed and gambling for future prosperity [02b061b3]. The decline in birth rates and the ideology of diversity, equity, and inclusion are seen as further signs of decline [02b061b3]. Andrews concludes by urging readers to examine the dysfunctions in their own cities and consider whether justifications for these problems are convincing [02b061b3].
While Goldberg and Andrews both acknowledge the problems facing the United States, they offer different perspectives on the comparison to the Soviet Union. Goldberg argues that the comparison is flawed and that America's problems come from a different direction, while Andrews argues that the similarities between the United States and late Soviet Russia are even more pronounced [8fa84f98] [02b061b3]. It is clear that there is ongoing debate about the accuracy of the 'late Soviet America' analogy, with different viewpoints and interpretations of the current state of the United States.