West historians and common people (brainwashed by anti-USSR and anti-Russian propaganda) ,of course, think otherwise, but what do you want from them? They are West. C'mon, they still think of D-Day as great military operation and belive "Saving private Rayan" is a realistic movie. Have some pity for them.
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Informally: The Soviet Union
A country that occupied 1/6 of all the land in the world. Existed from 1917 to 1991. Ruled by the Communist Party. Consisted of 15 republics. Controlled all of Eastern Europe, most of Asia, supported some African, Latin American and Middle Eastern countries. Called "The Evil Empire"
As bad as the Third Reich. Yeah, they're government beat old Hitler away from his oil fields, but look what we got in place of Nazi oppression - Soviet oppression instead. And almost as bad, too.
The USSR did not allow religion. Fact.
The USSR spent enough on useless space exploration to feed its entire starving population. Fact.
The USSR's military was ill-equipt and at NO point was a military match for NATO's or even the United State's alone if a full-scale war had erupted. Fact.
Why do things dissapear? Becuase they don't work. Fact.
The USSR is gone. Fact.
"he USSR was inefficient, and the government was a bit heavy-handed, but if you think it was evil, or that its collapse was a good thing, you are an idiot, just ask anyone who has actually lived there."
Inefficient? It broke down becuase it couldn't support itself anymore! Heavy-handed is a far cry for the 20 MILLION people their government butchered.
How can that idiot defend them becuase of their rediculous and now nearly defunct space program? Ignorance is bliss.
Ask Russians now about it and they say they want it back becuase their military is being man-handled by a few thousand Muslim terrorists.
Ask those millions who were SELECTIVELY STARVED by the Soviet government and you will get a different story. Oh wait, you can't - they're dead!