Well I almost always blame America first. We're an Empire its what we do. We f*** with other nations.

 

I like Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. I don't apologize for it like most wussy democrats.

Boo rightist totalitarianism! Yay "leftist" totalitarianism!

An awful lot of Reagan policies helped in the matter. SDI, whether effective or not, played a big part in potentially eliminating the Russian ICBM stockpile's usefulness. Reagan's arms buildup left the Soviets unable to keep pace without destroying their economy. The U.S. support of the Afghan fighters, esp. with the Stinger, bled the Russians just like Vietnam bled the U.S. And turning around and negotiating after all the buildup, without making the mistake of war, gave the Russians a way out that helped crack everything.

 

I wouldn't underestimate at all the effectiveness of 40 years of the containment system outlined by Truman, or the actions of any number of presidents, but I also wouldn't underestimate the job of the Reagan admin. in actually pulling the coup de gras and finishing the job.

All of this is true. You can also add the moral presence of Pope John Paul II if you like.

 

The downward pressure on oil prices in the mid-to-late 1980s helped a great deal as well.