User blog comment:Fegaxeyl/No US superpower - but how?/@comment-32656-20110801224225

It's virtually impossible for the Soviets to get nukes first. They only managed it when they did because they stole the tech. It's estimated that it would have taken them until at least 1955 on their own. And, if an invasion of Japan failed - kinda impossible, with the US having near-domination of the skies, but we'll go with it - they'd have just starved them out. Would not have taken long, as they were only a year at most away from it otl.

Like I said, take the GI Bill down to its original intent, and you kill the boom. While a recession may not happen, there is sure as heck not going to be a post-war boom like otl.