Meh.
In the period from 1975-1990, the USSR was arguably the least bad of the three imperial superpowers. China backed the notorious crazies Shining Path and the Khmer Rouge, while the USA got out of China’s way seeking an ally against Russia. The USA backed the murderous ruling class in El Salvador, the elites in Honduras, the heinous Contras, and Pinochet.
The Khmer Rouge were finally put down by Soviet affiliates out of Vietnam.
Meanwhile, the USA’s elites moved its manufacturing base to China, where very low-wage, low-benefits labor, and what has been characterized as slave labor, were legal. Oh, and also the high and mighty American right wing sold arms to the mullahs in Iran and used the proceeds to fund mass murderers in Nicaragua, *and *worked with Osama Binladin.
If Bernie was cozying up to the Russia bloc while the right wing were cozying up to the Maoists, yeah, he looks better than the people who have been running the country since then.
But by all means, let’s dredge up that history, and see what the younger generation think of it.