> It was the same thing with the Soviet union, was it ever really successful at any point?

yes. the soviet union was wildly successful for most of its history. it went from a backwater poor agrarian country to an industrial superpower near peer with the US in a single generation, while simultaneously going through multiple brutal wars and crushing nazi germany at immense cost. despite all that, the soviet union had the fastest and greatest economic and quality of life rise of any country in the 20th century.

of course it had problems that led to its collapse but you cannot be serious and say it was never successful at any point