I think that many people are uncomfortable equating the ideal of socialism or communism with the soviet state. Many others, I'd guess Chet included, are afraid not to. I know that the cold war really was a huge money pit of US interests and Soviet interests bankrupting their national economies to make sure the other failed. A moral dilemna I have is, starving nations were always in a bidding war, between the two "super powers", over who was going to help, ie. control them, now they just starve. the heros and villains are a product of your own beliefs...which attrocities you allow yourself to accept.