The New Commonwealth

This book examines in a historical perspective the most intriguing dialectic in the Soviet Union's evolution: from socialism to capitalism and back to socialist capitalism; and provides a unique interpretation of events unfolding in Eastern Europe within broad historical, economic, military and political contexts. The author predicts that the United States, bastion of "free markets", will be forced to move toward socialistic policies just as the Communist nations inevitably integrated more elements of capitalism into their systems, and he speculates on how these shifts will affect the main players' positions in the global power game. Will US Government bailouts bring the US closer to socialism? Were Roosevelt's policies socialistic? Are there limits to the capitalist model — and is there a place for unemployment benefits, Social Security pensions, health insurance, and food stamps? If so, why is the "safety net" feared as unAmerican?