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They seemed to have been destroyed by more external forces like a failed economy, mass starvation and political strife.

There was no mass starvation at the end of the USSR and economy was in OK state (considering low oil prices).

How is any of that external?

Compared to an internal "mindset"?

The previous comment said something to the affect of how the US destroyed the USSR but the problems you mentioned are all problems that are "internal" to a nation. I don't see where the jump was made to talking about individuals vs the internal problems that plagued the USSR.

Maybe I understood it wrong because they said "mindset" instead of "internal".

To me, seeding ideas is internal to the people and society leading to chaos, as compared to external and physical forces like starvation, oppression and lack of infrastructure.

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