<1. As opposed to the decades long US policy of kissing the asses of totalitarian NON-communists around the world.

Very good point. On the other hand, letting these thug-run nations fall firmly into the Soviet sphere, which they would have, would not have improved anything, including the lives of their citizens. Some third alternative would have been nice, but nothing simple comes to mind.

2. The idea of "institutionalized evil" does not sit well with anybody who can think above a level of comic-book foreign policy.

The Third Reich. Pol Pot. The Taliban. The list goes on quite extensively, and if this does not qualify as institutionalized evil, I don't know what would.

While the Third Reich is properly condemned by the Left due to the odd conceit of its being perceived as an "opposite" to communism, there are still many on the Left apologizing for the Marxist Pol Pot. Go figure.