Аннотация: About winners and victories. A historical and psychological essay.
About winners and victories. A historical and psychological essay.
One Wikipedia article on Saudi Arabia 's ambassadors to the United States mentioned a story related to Afghanistan. Someone expressed a gratitude to Saudi Arabia. Something like a gratitude for the effective help that made it possible to win.
Among the broad circles close to historical science, a version, allegedly true, is widespread.
According to this version, once long ago, under the external influence, Saudi Arabia lowered oil prices. The Soviet Union was forced to exist in conditions of a low oil prices. And since the USSR's foreign exchange earnings and domestic expenditures were related to revenues from the sale of oil, a discontent appeared among the population in the Soviet Union, and the Soviet Union ceased to exist.
Both stories are allegedly true ones - but how to test them?
If we combine the history of the oil price maneuver with the history of support that helped to win, then one can speculate that Saudi Arabia is, in a sense, the winner.
However, it is not audible that Saudi Arabia declares itself a winner, organizes some kind of solemn public events, and emphasizes victories.
It is difficult to discuss the victories of Saudi Arabia in the economic sphere. The question is multi-level.
The basis of the economy of Saudi Arabia is the oil exports.
$ 17 a day is considered a poverty line in Saudi Arabia (Wikipedia).
All this makes the notion of 'winner' an interesting object of historical and psychological analysis. How not to confuse a pleasant words with a complex reality?
April 13, 2020 20:28
Translation from Russian into English: April 14, 2020 03:47.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'О победителях и о победах. Историко-психологический очерк'.