Core Insights - The article discusses the economic failures of the former Soviet Union (FSU) and draws parallels to current global dynamics, particularly in the context of a new Cold War [2][3][9]. Group 1: Economic Performance and Structure - The FSU's economic model prioritized total output over efficiency, leading to a loss of internal vitality in the residential sector [6][10]. - The FSU's GDP was heavily reliant on a planned economy, which was resource-driven rather than efficiency-driven, resulting in a significant disparity in productivity compared to the United States [6][8]. - By 1975, the FSU's reported GDP reached 67% of the U.S. GDP, but this figure was inflated, with actual estimates suggesting it was only 53% [8][9]. Group 2: Production Efficiency - The FSU's industrial labor productivity was only 55% of that of the U.S., and agricultural productivity was merely one-fifth of the U.S. level [7][8]. - The FSU's energy consumption to produce GDP was 2.5 times that of the U.S., indicating a cycle of increasing waste and inefficiency [7][9]. Group 3: Economic Sustainability - The FSU's focus on administrative directives led to a neglect of the fundamental purpose of the economy, which is to improve living standards, ultimately resulting in a loss of public support [10]. - The article warns that a healthy economic competition must shift from resource input-driven to efficiency-driven models, emphasizing that the internal economic vitality stems from the prosperity of the residential sector [10].