An interesting analysis. I did not think things in Europe were so close (did Communists ever come to power fairly through free elections)?
Europe was never really close: by the end of the Cold War it was apparent to almost everyone who held the high ground. That's not to say the West was perfect of course, just that Communism failed.
After the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War played out mainly in the Third World, where Soviet ideals about socialism and anti-imperialism were wildly popular, and where mistrust for the West and the United States ran deep.