It could be possible for the Soviet Union to reform, but who in America is worried about that on a daily basis? Everyone I know is talking about China, and if you bring it up causally, everyone has an opinion. If you bring up the Soviet Union at work tomorrow, I doubt anyone will say they are rising again and taking over the world. Its just not part of the zeitgeist.
I'm not one for trusting the "zeitgeist". What leaders say and do is more significant. Germany (and of course the European Union) have an agreement with Russia that many characterize to be similar to the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Russia and China have been cooperating militarily for some years now, doing joint military exercises. Putin hasn't let go of his ambition to reverse what he sees as the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe" (which shows his attitude towards WWII, incidentally). A lot more than just China (whom, incidentally, we should have been far more aggressive with back during the Korean War, instead of walking away).
It could be possible for the Soviet Union to reform, but who in America is worried about that on a daily basis? Everyone I know is talking about China, and if you bring it up causally, everyone has an opinion. If you bring up the Soviet Union at work tomorrow, I doubt anyone will say they are rising again and taking over the world. Its just not part of the zeitgeist