Lots of negatives in this thread, so here are some positives (in one case, a positive aspect of a negative event):
- Helped open relations with China
- Came up with “detente” in dealing with the Soviets, which helped to keep our fingers away from the big red button. Eventually, Capitalism/the West won, as the Soviets ran out of money.
- Helped to end the Yom Kippur war
- Gave the green light to stop a Marxist takeover in Argentina (we were still Team America: World Champions of Capitalism, and still battling the Soviets, for context)