We recently listened to books on tape "The Abyss: Nuclear Crisis Cuba 1962" It would seem the Soviet m.o. was a kind of "image over substance" bravado (ie "let's throw sh*t against the wall to see if it sticks") which was initially effective in scaring the West into making some mistakes, yet ultimately a failure when goading the West into making superior weaponry. Seemingly, it points out that the West has more $ and better alliances (in addition to tech capability), plus measured responses (which also prove effective). Fast forward to today, what has Putin really got going for him, that can't be overcome technically or politically by the West? True in '62, '89, and now.