>>"...And it did last for 72 plus years..."

Unfortunately, it lasted only for a few brief years until the death of Lenin. Stalin is what/who destroyed any chance of REAL socialism/communism in Russia.

Stalin has done more to damage the "image" of communism than any other leader. But few people bother to read REAL HISTORY. Too many people are biased, emotional, etc. to analyze history objectively.

>>"Also the Soviet Union would not have imploded (would have reformed itself? ) if Gorbachev wasn't so very naive and gullible as to trust the West."

The implosion of the Soviet Union was VERY COMPLEX (with multiple disparate factors and conjoining factors/events). People are STILL analyzing how and why the Soviet Union disintegrated (many debates here). I wouldn't put ALL the blame on Gorbachev. I primarily blame the WEST (and obviously Capitalism) for much of it.

But yes, you are right - Gorbachev (and Yeltsin, etc. including initially Putin) were naive in trusting the West.