I don't think there needs to be a dichotomy between the two. Leaders of a system tend to come from that system, and are not immune to such discontent, and are t

I don't think there needs to be a dichotomy between the two. Leaders of a system tend to come from that system, and are not immune to such discontent, and are themselves even often victims of said systems - which shapes them in the future. Gorbachev lived through Stalinism and his early political positions would include strong advocacy for de-Stalinization. And similarly, if you've never read about Xi Jinping's early life [1] it's extremely enlightening with regards to the nature of his character. To put this another way, would the USSR have lasted longer if not for Gorbachev? Almost certainly. Would the USSR exist today if not for Gorbachev? That, I very strongly doubt, certainly not in anything like its historic character. It's similar to e.g. slavery in America. Did Lincoln end slavery? Absolutely. Would slavery have ended without Lincoln? Absolutely, and perhaps in an even more desirable fashion. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping#Early_life_and_education https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Jinping#Early_life_and_educ...