Both the communists and the West have completely missed the point of life, as far as I can see. They both succumbed to the materialist viewpoint that says, "More is always better." They were both wrong. The Soviets collapsed first, that's all. They had an inherently weaker system to work with, and one that wasn't as good at marketing goods and ideas. The West's brilliance with marketing will not save it from the eventual consequences of its gross materialism.