After the Russian Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire

[Igel]

8. That would have interesting consequences.

Instead of a large bloc, there'd be a bunch of small nation-states or territories, none of which would have much authority or power except perhaps Germany.

It would smash the EU--which is precisely what most of the small far-right parties want. And some of the large ones, as well. Even the Tories in Britain want it weakened (albeit reined in, not utterly smashed, for the most part.)


There are those on the left in the US that have the same kinds of goal. In the fight against capitalism and Western hegemony there is only one evil, sort of spread between the US and the EU. There can be none others because there enemy is the one true enemy.


The downside is that this would leave a strong Russia, never a champion of (a) freedom, (b) human rights, (c) self-determination, (d) non-interference in other countries when it's the one doing the interfering.


The rightists should recognize this. Some unreconstructed leftists, however, are still of the opinion that the USSR was a good and righteous thing, and conflate Russia with the USSR as much as Brezhnev did. Most on that side in the fight, however, can't get over their contempt and disgust for one structure to recognize the flaws in another.