Saudi Arabia against the USSR and Russia. Part of 2

Islam vs Communism and Russia

In the 1970s, the “oil empire” became a serious enemy of the Soviet Union. Since 1975, the analytical centers of the United States, Great Britain and Saudi Arabia have developed the program “Islam against communism”. After the collapse of the USSR, this program was continued, already as “Islam against the Russians.” This program provided support and funding for various radical, underground Islamist organizations in Muslim-populated regions of the USSR (Russia). "Shake" the USSR were going primarily through Central Asia. It should be noted that this program was approved before the entry of Soviet troops in Afghanistan, that is, it was not a response to the actions of the USSR.

Western analysts, including Henry Kissinger, believed that the Soviet Union was the most vulnerable from the south. It was necessary to revolt Central Asia (Turkestan), creating non-asmatizing. On the basis of Islam, to blow up the anti-Russian fire in Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, to transfer sparks of flame to the Caucasus and Bashkiria, and Tatarstan. The pillar of the West and Saudi Arabia was to become the already decaying nomenclature of the Central Asian republics, thinking of "independence" and the legalization of the stolen. By 1978, the efforts of the Saudis in some regions of the USSR had created underground Islamist cells. In Soviet Tajikistan, the founder of the Islamic Renaissance Party of Tajikistan was Said Abdullo Nuri. He was still in the middle of 70-x created a youth organization of Islamists. Wahhabism disputes abandoned in the 1970s will lead to an unofficial alliance of radical Muslim ideologues and party functionaries who profit from the black market (including the nascent drug market) and result in massacre and expulsion of Russians from the republic, and then a bloody civil war in Tajikistan. Tajikistan Civil War 1992-1997 it will be so terrible that the Muslims themselves will push the radicals into Afghanistan and the Pamirs. But the Wahhabism virus can already spread in Central Asia and the Caucasus.

However, the radicals could develop in full force only after the collapse of the USSR, when the ideology of radical Islam (Wahhabism) created a solid base not only in Central Asia, but also strengthened in the North Caucasus, manifested itself in Moscow, Tataria, Bashkiria and even Siberia. At present, radical Islam has a strong ground in the Central Asian republics and is waiting in the wings when post-Soviet, secular regimes become completely decrepit and it will be possible to take power.

In modern Russia, the poison of Wahhabism will cause a second Chechen war in 1999 (in the first, political and ethnic factors, rather than religious, played a big role), which lasted until 2009 (the active phase was completed in 2000). Many Chechen militants will be trained under the leadership of Saudi specialists, they will absorb the ideology of "pure Islam". In Chechnya, the infection was managed to be crushed almost completely, but the virus hit the neighboring North Caucasian republics and, in fact, an underground war continues in the region. It is worth noting that it is caused and continues not only because of external support, but also because of the ideological emptiness of the modern Russian Federation. Many young people, not only representatives of ethnic groups who converted to Islam, but also ethnically Russians, accept the norms of Islam and, in search of social justice, take the path of fighting the “infidels”. This is a very dangerous situation. The Russian Federation is approaching the border when it will be possible to implement the “Syrian” (or “Yugoslav”) scenario. Stupid (or criminal, if you remember the famous Stalinist - “Are you a fool or an enemy ?!), the migration policy of the Russian authorities only adds fuel to this fire.

Saudi Arabia played a huge role in the Afghan confrontation. In 1981, the head of the CIA, William Joseph Casey, arrived in Saudi Arabia. He held talks with the royal intelligence chief, Prince Turki al-Fayce, a friend of Vice President George W. Bush under Ronald Reagan (in 1981 — 1989). American oil tycoon and former head of the CIA (1976 - 1977) Bush struck up a relationship with an Arab sheikh as early as the 70s. The Americans focused on the military-strategic position of Saudi Arabia. With the tremendous wealth that appealed to the natural interest of the neighbors, the state was virtually defenseless militarily. From the east hung Iran, where in 1979 the Islamic Revolution took place. Ayatollah Khomeini considered the Saudis traitors to the cause of Islam, who came into contact with the "infidel" Americans. The Iranians were planning an Islamic revolution in Saudi Arabia, establishing an allied regime for them. In the south of the Arabian Peninsula, the pro-Soviet People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen was established in 1970. The Democratic Republic of Yemen was not averse to rob a Saudi part of their territory. With great apprehension in Riyadh they perceived the appearance of Russian troops in Afghanistan, in the future the USSR could reach the Persian Gulf. In addition, Moscow had a strong position in Syria and the Democratic Republic of Yemen.

Casey offered guarantees of military protection from the United States and access to advanced military technology in the western world. In return, the Saudis were supposed to join the United States in their struggle against the Soviet Union, sponsoring the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and supporting the ideas of radical Islam on Soviet territory. In addition, Riyadh was supposed to inflict an economic blow to the USSR - by increasing oil production and knocking down oil prices. The price of gas usually goes in conjunction with oil prices, and therefore the gas plans of Moscow were hit. Casey found a complete understanding with the Turks. First of all, the Saudis supported a plan to finance Afghan gangs. The joint payments of Washington and Riyadh to the Afghan mujahideen amounted to about 3,5 billion dollars. The United States gave the "green light" to supplying Saudi Arabia with the latest weapons and promised to provide immediate assistance by the Rapid Reaction Force in case of an external threat.

It turned out to be somewhat more complicated with oil prices, since the revenues of an absolute monarchy depended on them. The Saudis initially promised only to not succumb to the demands of the organization of oil exporting countries on the issue of increasing prices for black gold. But after the Americans, despite the resistance of Israel, decided to weapons, Riyadh has softened its position on the oil issue. Casey again visited Riyadh and met with Crown Prince Fahd. Fahd ibn Abdulaziz Al Saud will rule the kingdom from 1982 to 2005. Casey argued that the fall in oil prices would not affect the kingdom. The fall in the price of "black gold" will benefit the US economy, it will affect American securities, and the Arabian sheikhs will also benefit. In addition, low oil prices will reduce the needs of Europeans, who began to buy natural gas from the USSR, while maintaining their focus on the countries of the Middle East. Fahd and Casey found a common language.

However, it was only by 1985 that they finally persuaded the Saudis. Riyadh had long doubted the need for this step, the money outweighed strategic interests. For the entire 1984 year, the Reagan administration was persuading the kingdom to increase oil production. Riyadh negotiated with the British to stabilize oil prices at 29 dollars per barrel and lower production. In September, 1984, Casey, went to Riyadh again, but could not convince the king. The Saudis waited. In February, 1985, Fahd visited Washington. US President Reagan assured the monarch that the United States will ensure the safety of the kingdom. However, Fahd in a polite manner explained that security must be paid for - to reduce the price of "black gold." By 1980, the world oil price peaked at $ 35 per barrel. Reducing the price of oil hit the main enemies of Saudi Arabia - the USSR, Iran and Libya. Fahd’s ultimatums were not set, but the signal was convincing. Riyadh made the final decision. Only the United States could provide security for the royal dynasty. The kingdom was in a hostile environment. South Yemen openly claimed the oil-bearing areas of Arabia. The Soviet Union stood behind the Syrians and Yemenis. The Iranian revolutionary authorities were not allies of the Union, but they also hated the Saudis. Only the long and bloody Iran-Iraq war of 1980-1988. prevented Tehran from taking on Saudi Arabia more seriously. Iraq was also not an ally of Saudi Arabia, but had close contacts with the United States. In addition to Iranians and Syrians, Libyans also played their game in Saudi Arabia.

Clan Saud felt in great danger. Riyadh had to make huge monetary injections into the Afghan war, to credit Iraq in its war with Iran, to counter the Syrians and Libyans. Big money went on the purchase of weapons. Saudi fear helped the Americans.

In August, the 1985 of the USSR struck two economic blows. Washington devalued the dollar by 25%. The dollar was depreciated, the nominal incomes of the American budget increased. The United States eased its national debt. American goods have become cheaper, more competitive. The real incomes of the USSR from the sale of energy resources fell, as contracts for the supply of oil and gas abroad were calculated in dollars. Saudis dollar depreciation warned. In August, Saudi Arabia sharply increased oil production: from 2 million barrels per day to 6, and then 9 million. Oil prices for the six months fell from 30 to 12 dollars per day. In 1986, the price dropped to 10 dollars per barrel and below. Gone down and natural gas prices. The economy of the USSR, tied during the time of Brezhnev to a strong dependence on the export of energy resources, was seriously shocked. The surplus in the trade balance of the Soviet economy was eliminated: the USSR was now spending more than earning. Moscow began to sell its gold reserves. The situation for the USSR was aggravated by a change of power — Gorbachev and his team of traitors came to power.

It must be said that the collapse in oil prices hit hard not only in the USSR, but throughout the entire oil-producing world. Nigeria, Mexico and Venezuela were on the verge of bankruptcy, the "great oil collapse" halved the incomes of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Libya, Iraq, Iran and Indonesia. Saudi Arabia, after 1985, has fallen into a long-term social and economic crisis, which lasted until the oil growth of the early 2000s. The golden days of the 1970's are a thing of the past. True, the crisis did not affect the Saudi elite, which acted contrary to national interests. The Saudi ruling dynasty retained personal assets invested in the financial system of the United States.

King Fahd Al Saud

Financing International Terrorism

The role of Saudi Arabia was not limited to the financing of the Afghan Mujahideen and the "energy war" against the USSR. Riyadh was allowed to play an important role in financing the growth of the system of international terrorism, which was to play an important role in establishing the New World Order. Saudi Arabia has become a real epicenter of the financing of terrorism. Since the end of the 1980s, after the Afghan war and the Iran-Iraq war, Saudi alleged charitable foundations have become the main sources of funding for jihadists. Saudi Arabian money was used to create and maintain dozens of training camps in various countries of the world, buying weapons, equipment and recruitment of militants. The famous al-Qaeda and dozens of other terrorist organizations were raised with Saudi money. The intelligence services of the United States and Great Britain worked in close conjunction with Arabian intelligence, implementing a global plan to discredit Islam and prepare the ground for the start of a new world war. Billions of Saudi dollars went into the pockets of Americans associated with Arabia through contracts, grants and salaries.

The US and Saudi Arabian special services conducted a magnificent operation on 11 September 2001 of the year. It allowed the United States to delay the onset of the economic crisis and launch an invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, which had a long-term goal - the complete destabilization of the Near and Middle East. Chaos in the East should strike Europe, Russia, China and India and lead to a global war. In the role of "Hitler" in the new world war should act the Islamic world.

Comments

[ism_ek]

It is a mistake to think that the USSR was ruined by low oil prices. 60% of the USSR’s oil was supplied to the socialist camp countries. Prices for these contracts were determined on the basis of the average oil price over 5 years. Also, one should not forget that in 1984 a gas pipeline to Western Europe was launched and the additional cash flow more than covered the losses from lower oil prices.
ps An interesting fact. So that the Americans would not interfere with the construction of the gas pipeline from Yamal, all pipes and gas pumping stations had to be bought and the United States.

[Iraclius]

Dumping oil prices by Saudi, at the instigation of the United States, has become one of the key factors and should not be underestimated.
In the mid-seventies, when the price of oil peaked, revenues in hard currency for the Soviet Union increased by 272% (!!!) with export growth of approximately 22% (!!!). Those. Now, with every increase in the price of a barrel by one dollar, Moscow received about one billion dollars annually (!!!).
You have incomplete information about the gas pipeline. All hope was on the colossus "Urengoy-6". But it did not grow together there. Constant sabotages and disruptions in pipe deliveries have led to a delay in its launch. So, back in 1980, it was assumed that Urengoy-6 could bring in from 8 to 10 billion dollars annually, and starting from 1985 - from 15 to 30 billion dollars (depending on oil prices) when the second stage will be put into operation. However, due to the complex economic war against the USSR launched by the United States, the second branch of the pipeline was not built. In addition, the Soviet Union has already lost from 15 to 20 billion dollars due to the failure to operate the first stage. And this is in a country at war!

[ism_ek]

Quote: Iraclius

Those. Now, with every increase in the price of a barrel by one dollar, Moscow received about one billion dollars annually (!!!).

The main oil supplies were not for dollars, but for foreign exchange rubles. The price of these deliveries was fixed for five years in advance.
The reduction in revenues from the export of oil and petroleum products between 1984 and 1987 was equivalent to 1,3% of the USSR GDP or 2,6-2,7% of the USSR state budget revenues

[Iraclius]

As far as I know, all transactions on settlements for international supplies of raw materials to the USSR were carried out in convertible currency.
As an illustration for oil, the export of oil and oil products from the USSR grew from 75,7 million tons. in 1965 to 193,5 million tons in 1985. At the same time, exports for freely convertible currency were estimated at 36,6 and 80,7 million tons, respectively. Estimated foreign exchange earnings from the export of oil and petroleum products, which amounted to about 1965 billion dollars in 0,67, increased by 1985 times to 19,2 and amounted to 12,84 billion
In addition, it is pointless to consider the elasticity of oil demand (and, consequently, prices) in isolation from a similar one for gas.
After 1985, gas began to pull the USSR out of the economic abyss, but it was too late because the introduction of the first stage of Urengoy-6 was delayed and the second stage was not commissioned.

[ism_ek]

If you count everything to the end, you will understand that a drop in oil prices has led to a drop in budget revenues by several percent. This is a lot (about the same amount as the USSR spent on health), but not catastrophic. The catastrophe was arranged by the mountain economists who proposed cost accounting, acceleration, etc.

[Iraclius]

Those. Do you also blame everything on Kosygin reforms?
And you talk so condescendingly about the public sector.
Unfortunately, it was the decline in the availability of consumer goods that was the last straw.
In the USSR, there was everything - VCRs, and computers, and high-quality clothes ... But this was not enough, and the distribution system malfunctioned.
Hence the sheepskin coats on Kushka, farmers and blat.
And while oil prices were stably high, and currency inflows did not stop, part of this foreign exchange earnings was spent on food imports and the purchase of consumer goods.
And then it began - the war in the DRA, the colossal grandmas on the liquidation of the Chernobyl explosion, the earthquake in Spitak ... The loss of 64 billion rubles from the start of the anti-alcohol campaign of Mishka Gorbaty.
And there was simply no money left for people. And what was left was done.
I remember the store shelves in the 1989 year in Grozny - candied fruit and apple juice.

[vBR]

"Unfortunately, it was the decline in the availability of consumer goods that became that last straw." ... "I remember the shelves of shops in 1989 in Grozny - candied fruit and apple juice." This is not unfortunately, but to great joy for the anti-Soviet brigade. In 88, Ryzhkov's government adopted and warmly supported by "the entire progressive community and the deputies" a law on a socialist enterprise, as well as on lifting the state monopoly on foreign trade. This law allowed cash out and consumption of funds from a closed circuit of the economy - it just opened the veins of the Soviet economy. The consumer market was destroyed by this, so here you are with candied fruits with apple juice. The common man is outraged by the "administrative-command system", and the rat-catchers are already ready. It is impossible to assume that Ryzhkov and all the deputies were secret accomplices of the enemy in the Cold War, they simply did not understand a damn thing about the Soviet economy. This is how it happens when you don't know how it works

[vBR]

From what kind of "economic abyss" gas "began to pull the USSR after 85"? Where do such extravagant statements come from? And what do the scary figures of billions of dollars you quoted show? Nothing, by themselves. But how real it is when you take the specific gravity. In 1988, the GNP of the USSR amounted to 875 billion rubles. All exports from the USSR amounted to 67,1 billion rubles, fuel and electricity in this 42,1% - 28,2 billion rubles. This is 3,2% of the GNP. Two-thirds of it went to the CMEA countries under long-term agreements, this is generally another article, ism_ek wrote to you here. So the export of energy resources for convertible currency amounted to 1,03% of the USSR GNP. As a share of the gross general product, which is a closer analogue of GDP than GNP, it is generally 0, 59%. Per capita income on this separate item has declined from $ 46 to $ 30 a year since the "price collapse". It's amazing how stubbornly they continue to believe in fairy tales about the "price collapse" that was fatal for the Soviet economy. Yes, the USSR just spit on it from the high bell tower

[Laserson]

I don’t understand - did the USSR really import so many goods for foreign currency that the cessation of the inflow of foreign currency could undermine its economy? Why was the USSR economy generally dependent on the dollar? After all, at that time the ruble was in no way pegged to the dollar?

[Prometey]

Quote: Laserson

I don’t understand - did the USSR really import so many goods for foreign currency that the cessation of the inflow of foreign currency could undermine its economy? Why was the USSR economy generally dependent on the dollar? After all, at that time the ruble was in no way pegged to the dollar?

The party nomenclature was tied to the dollar, not the country. The rotten elite and their children needed a currency to spend money on imported gear and fun. After all, it was much easier to spend money on rags than to allocate funds to production for the development and production of new products.
The current bureaucratic-oligarchic elite of the country with a "great" BB, which has completely tied the Russian economy to the dollar, lives by the same, only even more hypertrophied principle. Although the collective farmer Uncle Vasya (as well as millions of Russian hard workers) for the most part has a dollar ..., but with his wallet he sponsors the oil oligarchs and the Kremlin who protect them, and at the same time the currency speculators who stuck to them, who eventually withdraw the country's money to Courchevel ... I can’t write any further, there is only one mat left.

[Iraclius]

Wrong reason, Prometheus. And very superficial. And that's why. The pragmatism of the Americans was that they calculated and managed to apply the reverse scale: if oil prices fall, for example, by 10 dollars per barrel, Moscow may lose up to 10 billion dollars. In other words, they correctly calculated that the price of oil on world markets is an essential factor determining the state of the Soviet economy. At the same time, a drop in oil prices meant a huge economic advantage for the United States. For example, a fall in prices from 1983 dollars in 34 per barrel to 20 dollars would reduce US energy costs by 71,5 billion annually. This would mean an increase in income to American consumers at the level of one percent of the existing growth in national income. In other words, lower oil prices would almost equal a tax cut for Americans.
In addition, dollars were not only for clothes and currency whores needed.
Unfortunately, even at the peak of power, our Motherland was not an absolute self-sufficient author and many goods of strategic importance were imported from the West. A good example is pipe rolling of large diameters.

[Prometey]

Quote: Iraclius

Wrong reason, Prometheus.

You reason in terms of US benefits. The fact that they acted on the basis of their interests is understandable. But explain to me, what the hell, energy prices in the domestic market depend on the dollar and oil prices on the world market? Are we importers of oil? And because, the oligarchs at the expense of our population compensate for their losses from price spikes. This is only possible with an anti-people government that has been through and through. to which we ... to the people. The main thing is that in the Kremlin kickbacks in suitcases were worn during the time.
As for imports from the West. If the money was spent on the purchase of new technologies and samples of new products (as in the 30s) - this is one thing. But when they were squandered on what they could produce themselves - this is idiocy and wrecking. About large diameter pipes is a good example. But over time, the USSR itself mastered their production, in particular, at our Chelyabinsk tube rolling plant. And cast-iron pipes over 300 mm are still dragged from China.

[Iraclius]

The USSR model of late stagnation - this is not the USSR IVS, is it? Hence the shift in priorities of the ruling nomenclature. Instead of modernizing production, import of goods In fairness, I note that in the same Reagan Directives there are paragraphs devoted to the strict restriction of USSR access to Western technologies.
And about the snickering Central Asian republics, Alexander wrote very well in the article.
I remember how my father brought expensive clothes from business trips to Kushka. Soviet! Whereas in the European part - bye-bye! - deficit. Distribution system twists.
It is a pity that Academician Glushkov was not allowed to build his OGAS. You look, and could survive the oil crisis without the collapse of the USSR.

***
Guys, in any case, the liquidation of the USSR was a complex "event". It makes no sense to look for some main reason - there is none. This was the result of a systemic crisis.

[ism_ek]

Under Stalin, the ruble was tied to gold. But there was not enough gold in the USSR, and I wanted to print a lot of rubles, so in 1961 we carried out a monetary reform and established a fixed exchange rate with the dollar. For political reasons, this course was not revised until the end of the 90s. Import and export regulated artificially

Until 1985, the USSR had a deficit-free budget. Expenses were equal to income. By the beginning of the 80s, economic growth rates were minimal, and there was stagnation. Gorby acted "brilliantly". He slashed taxes and increased spending. As a result, expenses were twice as high as income. The difference was compensated by external loans and money that lay on the accounts of Sberbank
The CPSU Central Committee thought that tax cuts would lead to an increase in production, but it turned out that enterprises began to spend additional profits on the purchase of imported goods for workers, and not on the modernization of production. In short, the "snowball" spun. The country began to reorient itself towards imports, domestic production began to fall, taxes fell, and the USSR collapsed in five years.

[vBR]

What suggests that there was stagnation by the early 80s? There must be indicators. And they are not there, just as there were no signs of a crisis in the economy. And so just in case: 70% of the country's capital funds (including explored and developed oil and gas fields, pipelines, oil refineries, as well as a nuclear missile fist) were created during the period of "stagnation." We have been playing tricks on them for 25 years. That's what should have been surprising! For the era of Brezhnevism - in terms of creating material resources for their lives - the current inhabitants of the Russian Federation should simply pray

[a52333]

Later, the Brezhnev rule of the USSR bought a lot of imported goods, starting from food, primarily wheat, machine tools, consumer goods.

[Prometey]

Most likely, we will never reach the level of production in 1990.

[Iraclius]

While the economy is focused on the export of raw materials - no, there is no way.
And there is no progress towards that. I am most outraged by the fact that some of our "financialists" are even proud to talk about it, bljad.
On 6 and 7 on August 2013 in the Vedomosti newspaper, two parts published an article by a famous Russian economist, and more recently, a politician Vladislav Inozemtsev. The meaning of the article is already read in its title: "Raw material specialization can be good for Russia." The author first gives shocking figures, according to which the share of minerals in Russian exports is constantly growing and is already more than 70%, while oil and gas revenues have grown from less than a quarter in 1997 and in 2012 they accounted for more than half of all federal budget revenues. Just think about these numbers! However, the main thesis of the article is even more shocking: “How much do we need today the changes that can happen when real peeling off the raw material needle is a big question.” These are the nonhumans and form public opinion!

[Prometey]

Quote: Iraclius

While the economy is focused on the export of raw materials - no, there is no way.
And there is no progress towards that. I am most outraged by the fact that some of our "financialists" are even proud to talk about it, bljad.

It is sad to realize all this. The worst thing is that such "easy" money dulls and corrupts. No need to think, download the bowels and sell. And, alas, this tendency does not seem to be overcome.
The Soviet economy was blamed for the imbalance between production, consumption and the service sector. There is some truth in this. Now everything is exactly the opposite - hypercompetition in the field of trade and services and almost a vacuum in production

[ism_ek]

Do not forget that the main import of products was from the countries of the socialist camp. Products were bought in exchange for the products of Soviet factories.

[Iraclius]

Yes, but on the other hand, the social camp countries in the 80's are gradually closing for Soviet consumer goods in connection with the sharp reduction in the cost of Western ones. Which again takes away a piece, albeit not the largest, of the country's income.

[igor67]

Quote: ism_ek

Do not forget that the main import of products was from the countries of the socialist camp. Products were bought in exchange for the products of Soviet factories.

Well, yes, and wheat in Canada for gold? At 82 it seems, I remember from the news, the year is really not fruitful,

[bubla5]

Oh, Russia, Russia is the richest country, a people without pants, but they are ready to help all countries and regions who lend a hand, or just happen, send humanitarian aid, but like something happens, like floods in Krymsk or now in the Far East, then not one b --- b will even remember the existence of Russia

[slaventi]

The Saudi monarchy is an American-Israeli puppet. It poses a threat not only to Russia, but as we can see from the "Arab Spring", and to the Arabs themselves with its support for the militants.
Radical Islam of the Wakhabi persuasion, professed in Saudi Arabia, is the spiritual basis for recruiting terrorists, they can be called followers of the ancient order of assassins "Assassins", only on a larger scale. Russia needs to break off all relations with Saudi Arabia, if only because there is a recruitment of Russian citizens from among the pilgrims and others who study there in religious schools in the spirit of Wakhabism.

[Iraclius]

Since 1975 in the analytical centers of the United States, Great Britain and Saudi Arabia, they developed the program “Islam against communism”.

The "singer" of anti-Soviet propaganda Tom Clancy has such a novel - "The Red Storm Rises". And as a plot, it plays up the scenario of total religious Islamization of Soviet Azerbaijan. Natives of which carry out a major terrorist attack in Nizhnevartovsk and put the USSR on the brink of economic disaster.
And Tom, despite all their external delusionalism, always approached the development of the plot of his "agitation" very scrupulously.
And the information sources had appropriate. What, as it were, symbolizes ...

***
And I also remembered another frightening fragment from the "Hidden War" by A. Borovik. I quote, it's worth it:

- Peace and health to the buyer! - greeted me and an Afghan translator in broken Russian an old dukan, when I once appeared on the threshold of his shop.
I intended to buy a lighter, however, the owner of the store bent an excessive price.
“Too expensive,” I said.
- Your business! - answered the joker and shook a smoky beard.
“If I don’t buy this thing from you,” I assured him, “to whom will you sell it ?!” After all, in a couple of weeks there will no longer be Soviet ones.
- Ahmad Shah will be! he smiled slyly. - Ahmad Shah has a lot of dollars from Pakistan, from America ... He is to buy!
- Ahmad Shah will not appear here soon, believe me. And we are leaving.
- We leave, we leave! he repeated, looking attentively at me with clever half-closed eyes. He waved and said something in his own language.
When we left the shop, I asked the Afghan accompanying me to translate the last words of the dukan. "He said," I heard in response, "that Russian soldiers go north to their home. And then they will go even further north, leaving their Muslim republics. "
These words creeped down my spine. I looked around: the dodger was still smiling warmly and again waved his hand at me.

And now we recall the gloomy beginning of the 90s, civil armed conflicts on the territory of the former Soviet republics, radicals from Afghanistan fighting in Central Asia, sabotage of the Urengoy-6 gas pipeline.
Then, guys, the war was not Cold, but the real one was hot. With explosions, shooting and sabotage behind enemy lines. Officially, this was stated in the Directives signed by President Reagan, starting with 1982 (NSDD-32, NSDD-72, NSDD-166, etc.)
Among the economic issues, the “Reagan Strategy” involved organizing:
1) a campaign to drastically reduce the supply of hard currency to the Soviet Union as a result of lower oil prices in cooperation with Saudi Arabia, as well as restricting the export of Soviet natural gas to the West;
2) world-class integrated stocks using secret diplomacy, with the goal of maximally restricting the access of the Soviet Union to Western technologies;
3) widely organized technical misinformation with the goal of destroying the Soviet economy.
Such things, comrades.
And someone else will tryndet us from the stands that for New Russia - sitting on the "raw material needle" - is a blessing? No, this is a short leash for our country with a noose at the end. And I do not see any tendencies towards a change in the economic paradigm. And this also symbolizes.

[eplewke]

Soon the festival of Arab spring will come to them in the country. Do you think everything is smooth with the Saudis in the country ??? The same terror organizations funded by them have isolated themselves and have long gone out of control of Riyadh and the CIA. We will recapture Syria, and then the Saudis will have a hard time. The Arab spring they are surely thrust as a gift to the medieval regime of the kings of oil Arabia ...

[Iraclius]

The peak of world oil production has passed. So the Saudis did not have much time to live.

PS And with the king in the photograph, the pupils are abnormally dilated. I would say that the fact of addiction to substances is obvious.

[solomon]

Casey offered guarantees of military protection from the United States and access to the advanced military technology of the Western world. In return, the Saudis were supposed to join the United States in their struggle against the Soviet Union, sponsoring the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and supporting the ideas of radical Islam in Soviet territory. In addition, Riyadh was supposed to deliver an economic blow to the USSR - by increasing oil production and knocking down oil prices. .... .... First of all, the Saudis supported the financing plan for Afghan gangs.

And they opened the Pandora's box, which they are trying to control.

[KG_patriot_last]

The Chinese are attacking economically, and the Arabs ideologically. That is, the Chinese will be strong as long as the economic system exists. And the Arabs will be strong as long as the bearers of this idea are alive.

Draw conclusions gentlemen.

[Hitrovan07]

As already mentioned, Americans are pragmatists - so why not now "topple" the Saudi dynasty - perhaps this is the second part of the "plan"?

[goats denis]

It’s us and all of us who destroyed the USSR, because no one stood up in defense of the country, neither the army nor we, no one told Gorbachev if you went .... And now when the government enters the ceiling for electricity consumption, no one will stand up. Probably when Russia falls apart, we will accuse the Saudis, the CIA and the Jews.

[Asan Ata]

The Saudis are simply fellow travelers in the struggle for the conquest of the whole world. Blood clogged.

[OPTR]

The loss of 64 billion rubles from the start of the anti-alcohol campaign of Bears Hunchback.
And there’s simply no money left for people

Do not forget about the large-scale export of household goods to Poland, Romania, etc. A lot has gone. It did not fill the shelves with goods.
Plus, even then they played big in the economy. Does someone remember the cigarette hunger of those years (in Ukraine there was a certain period) when the plants were specially stopped? People picked up cigarette butts. Well, then Marlborough was purchased on a large scale. And then dabbled in his re-export.
These are not "grief economists" at all. This is what very smart economists did.

Under Stalin, the ruble was tied to gold. But there was not enough gold in the USSR, and I wanted to print a lot of rubles

If I am not mistaken, the course was not "tied". The gold content of the ruble was simply declared. These are two different things. Hardly anyone could buy such gold at the established content. Moreover, there were bank and treasury notes. Some seemed to be provided with all the property, while others - just precious metals, etc. But their share was different in the mass of money.
It is necessary to read about the history of money circulation.

And with the export of oil, this should be considered separately in the social. and cap. countries figures.
Then they tried (and abandoned, helping the dollar) to enter their currency, the transferable ruble, in the social camp.
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0
%BE%D0%B9_%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%BB%D1%8C

In exchange, they could buy the same transport, not only consumer goods.

The drop in oil prices itself was not fatal.

[kenobit]

Even Brzezinski acknowledged that the fall in oil prices was not critical for the USSR, because he did not export a lot of oil then, i.e. Union was collapsed artificially

[Virtuous]

Quote: Vbr

What suggests that there was stagnation by the early 80s? There must be indicators. And they are not there, just as there were no signs of a crisis in the economy. And so just in case: 70% of the country's capital funds (including explored and developed oil and gas fields, pipelines, oil refineries, as well as a nuclear missile fist) were created during the period of "stagnation." We have been playing tricks on them for 25 years. That's what should have been surprising! For the era of Brezhnevism - in terms of creating material resources for their lives - the current inhabitants of the Russian Federation should simply pray

It can even be said that not only residents of the Russian Federation. Today, if you look closely at the structure of Russian business, exporting billions abroad, it is easy to see that only those "entrepreneurs" who are engaged in the sale of minerals abroad (reserves are explored in the USSR), products of their primary processing (capacities were created in USSR) and just selling built in the same USSR. And the surplus money from the sale of resources (yes, this happens - in excess of the budget) goes to the "reserve fund". Who is he backup, everything is already, in my opinion, in the know.
So a lot of people should pray, and in different languages ​​...