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The fall of the USSR is the closest historical parallel to the imminent collapse of the West.
  • Both events involve a superpower losing its ideological and economic grip on a large population.
  • The USSR’s dissolution in 1991 followed a long period of economic stagnation and nationalist resurgence, similar to today’s Western trends.
  • Balaji argues that the West’s relative decline mirrors the Soviet trajectory, with a rapid rebalancing toward Asia.
  • The comparison highlights how a once‑dominant bloc can fragment into smaller, competing entities.
  • Recognizing this pattern warns policymakers of the speed and inevitability of change.
Balaji SrinivasanThe Peter McCormack Show00:01:07

Supporting quotes

The fall of the USSR is the closest parallel I think within our lifetimes to what is going to happen 2024‑2025 plus. Balaji Srinivasan
USSR collapse similar to West's future. Balaji Srinivasan

From this concept

The Collapse of the West Mirrors the USSR

Balaji draws a parallel between the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the current trajectory of Western decline, emphasizing ethnic fragmentation and the loss of economic primacy.

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