I love when boomers are like "you don't know what you're talking about, I was actually alive when the Soviets were plotting to nuke us at any moment". Just ask them "oh, so since you know more than me I guess we can have a discussion about the differences in economic outcomes between War Communism, the NEP, Stalin's 5-year plans, Khrushchev's economic reforms, and Perestroika?"
I love when boomers are like "you don't know what you're talking about, I was actually alive when the Soviets were plotting to nuke us at any moment". Just ask them "oh, so since you know more than me I guess we can have a discussion about the differences in economic outcomes between War Communism, the NEP, Stalin's 5-year plans, Khrushchev's economic reforms, and Perestroika?"
Also, the Soviets were if anything too restrained in their foreign policy.