Question

What were the major effects in the cold war and why do they affect American life today?

*Will give metal to best five answers!*

Answer 1

The Cold War was when America And Russia started to make nuclear weapons. Both parties accumulated so many nuclear weapons that they could kill the whole world about 5 times. And a law was passed that nuclear war was prohibited. But no killing was actually done during the Cold War.

Answer 2

@Emmzy - How does that affect the world today?

Answer 3

Well, technically there was no law that was passed prohibiting nuclear war -- but there were treaties that tried to control how many nukes both side should make, military alliances, etc.. The Cold War was the state of tensions between the US and the USSR -- both didn't trust each other and tried to undermine each others' policies around the globe through indirect means. But both would never directly confront each other in open warfare. They usually had others do that for them.

Spies, diplomats, economic deals, advisors...all of that went towards changing people's minds as to who they should support. Sometimes that would lead to war between proxies -- nations that followed one or the other -- such as between North and South Korea or North and South Vietnam many years later. But it was never an up-front confrontation between the forces of the US and the USSR while they played these global games. That's why it was called a "Cold" War because it never turned hot...it never became a full fledged nuclear exchange between either side, nor did they throw their armies at each other.

As for how it affects the world today, think about it: now that the USSR has collapsed, all of the friends and allies they made with promises of a Communist revolution, are now left wondering who their big brother is now. How are they acting today? Do they still see the US as the bad guy? Or are they building bridges to better understand them?

And as for the US, ask yourself this: the US set up a lot of bases and supported many governments throughout the world simply because they were anti-Communist -- even if a few of those people were scum. Now that the USSR boogeyman is gone, did the US keep their friends? Or did they leave them behind? Who is the US' enemy now?