> It was economic, but the common theory is that the totalitarian system was so inefficient that this caused the economic factors that made the system collapse,

> It was economic, but the common theory is that the totalitarian system was so inefficient that this caused the economic factors that made the system collapse, and that a free-market system would have avoided this. That common theory is too simplistic. Soviet leaders (Gorbachev most notably) have said it themselves, the Union came crashing down economically in big part due to Chernobyl. Without the massive expenses associated with the coverup and cleanup of this disaster (which could have happened everywhere, plenty of capitalist and authoritarian countries have seen terrible corner cutting resulting in massive accidents), the Union could have lingered for who knows how long.