Ah, now that's hot! But Soviet socialism did not finally prove to be a viable alternative to industrial capitalism. Over time, state-run economies just generally don't fare as well as private enterprise, and people like living in a world where they can have more stuff. More importantly, Soviet policies were just bad. Collectivized agriculture stymied production and led to famine, suppression of dissent and traditional cultures made people angry, and no one likes suffering the humiliation of driving a Yugo. But why the Cold War ended when it did is one of the most interesting questions of the 20th century. It probably wasn't Ronald Reagan bankrupting the Soviets, despite what some politicians believe.