If the US decided NOT to fight the Cold War.

[Stravo]

Alternate history scenario where the US decides its too expensive to confront the Soviet Union. Its a year after the Korean war and the US simply decides to give up the ghost in order to save American lives and treasure and sort of retreat from the world stage focussing instead on their mercantile interests etc.

Would the Soviet Union have eventually invaded Europe? More importantly would they have eventually collapsed without pressure from the US or would they have simply continued festering like some gangrenous wound?

Would teh US ecnomoy be even more collosal without the massive military spending over the last half century, no Vietnal war to fight and would our non involvement in such flash points as the ME meant that we may not have become the Great Satan in the eyes of extremists?