I think drawing a line between a vague notion of "freedom" and what existed in AES without doing any of the work to back that up makes little sense. Further, I think trying to say Western Germany, which was highly developed and already one of the most Imperialist countries on the planet at the turn of the 20th century was stronger economically than the USSR, which started the 20th century as a mostly undeveloped agrarian society just beginning Capitalism, is ridiculous.

That's like comparing someone who worked daily for what they accomplished for themselves with the Trust Fund kid who got a job at his father's investment firm.

Moreover, the USSR had constant and stable economic growth for its entire existence, and one of the highest rates of growth on the planet, while doing 80% of the combat in WWII and providing free education, healthcare, retirement, doubling life expectancies, and more.