Quote Originally Posted by Crocodile View Post
No, no, and no!

First, everything we used to find attractive about the SU (stability, etc.) should be attributed to the stagnation time of Brezhnev. The life before him and after him used to be rather challenging to the ordinary people.

Second, the whole 'preemptive war preparation' started at 1983 (Strategic Defense Initiative - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) after Brezhnev died (at 1982) and should be attributed to Andropov who was the Secretary General of the CPSU 1982—1984 (Yuri Andropov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). (Just a reminder that Andropov was previously a Chief of the KGB.) Some people said Andropov died at 1984 (in the Central Governmental Hospital in Moscow from the sudden kidney failure) because he was very successful in the preparation.
Perhaps, but nonetheless:

I honestly think that if Brezhnev had resigned or died in the mid-seventies things would be much better now.