Difficult to know where to begin unpicking this.

Things can be "facts of life" and still be unjust.

Travel to the eastern bloc was certainly possible, and happened quite a bit.

What does that have to do with the current situation? We aren't talking about federations of nation states lining up in opposition. It would be clearer if we were, and perhaps that's your issue. You long for clarity and simplicity so that your clear and simple approaches make sense. You need to disavow yourself of this misunderstanding.