Fair point and interesting to ponder on. I think I can start at home: Europe. Thanks to the balancing of power between the US and the USSR, we, the middle ground, could develop social democratic societies where university education and health care were very very affordable and free for those who could not afford to pay. Americans call us socialists. Raw capitalism was on a very tight leash thanks to the Soviet threat.

Prof.Glen Diesen refers to this as the multipolar Westphalian world order. We all saw what happened after the collapse: unfettered neo-liberalism and its wake of destruction still running its course today. Power unchecked devolves into radical arrogance. All the more reason to cherish a new multipolar world. Which is to be seen. Eurasia is an interesting candidate for us here in Europe and a way to also keep China in check.

As for people fleeing towards the West, yes, life in the USSR was poor and very oppressive so it's natural for people to flee towards visual abundance and relatively more freedom. But I wonder how many truly understand what very high environmental and social price that abundance comes with? And that US freedom comes with indifference and institutionalised extreme inequality.

And twolast notes: no good ever justifies doing evil, and it's important to read from multiple sources regardless of labels/status as nobody holds the monopoly on the interpretation of events. Though many would like to :)