Effects on the world
The cold war has many lasting effects on the world today. In the present, America still has an embargo with Cuba, nothing shipped to Cuba, nothing shipped back. Americans are also not allowed to go to Cuba, and with the fall of the Soviet Union, America was established as a world superpower.
Additionally, nuclear arms production sites are still radioactive. Tons of places in the world are affected by the radioactivity, including the air and water. Almost all of the nuclear weapons are still viable, and American/Russian political relations are still strained.
Although the threat of nuclear war and overall paranoia in both countries was bad, the cold war had a few good points, at least for America. For one thing, the threat of communists and their apparent evil helped distract from other social problems, like racism. Discrimination against African-American was second priority, as was inequality for women, so some a little bit of the social problems were remedied. During the Cold War, the government had even gone to the lengths of banning anti-Black laws, but nobody really noticed all that much.
Additionally, nuclear arms production sites are still radioactive. Tons of places in the world are affected by the radioactivity, including the air and water. Almost all of the nuclear weapons are still viable, and American/Russian political relations are still strained.
Although the threat of nuclear war and overall paranoia in both countries was bad, the cold war had a few good points, at least for America. For one thing, the threat of communists and their apparent evil helped distract from other social problems, like racism. Discrimination against African-American was second priority, as was inequality for women, so some a little bit of the social problems were remedied. During the Cold War, the government had even gone to the lengths of banning anti-Black laws, but nobody really noticed all that much.