However i think the author is talking more about the smaller Eastern European communist countries in general ( Yugoslavia, East Germany are mentioned), not the Soviet Union.
Interesting to consider, as sort of a tolerance paradox.
I'll also point out that:
- The imperialistic part of the USA is the socialist part of USA (which does exist and gets larger every day).
- Empires are not economically profitable as a whole, only a few people profit.
If you mean the army, it’s not socialist. The workers don’t have democratic control over the means of production. It’s just a planned economy, plenty of those exist in dictatorships of the bourgeoisie (like Amazon).
Of course, in properly-functioning capitalist systems, you can and should fight and Ally with the megacorps with start-ups. In socialist countries...