What people are paid is quite irrelevant, it is what they get for their money and the general standard and quality of living that is relevant.

I am sure there is some prostitution and criminal gangs in the "commie hell" of Belarus... but as far as I understand there has been less of that in Belarus than in Russia and Ukraine. It is certainly not something Belarus is known for outside it's own borders anyway.

If Belarussians themselves think it's a good idea to go the same way as Russia, then that's their problem and none of my business. They are quite welcome to do it as far as I am concerned. But it seems like the majority still vote for Lukashenko; people like Basil77s aunt.

If there are problems with Lukeshenko, then frankly I think the Belarussians should sort that out themselves, without interference by the US, EU or Russia. They elected him, they should also get rid of him if they don't like him anymore. It's nobody else's responsibility or business. Belarus isn't doing anything that is causing any problems for any other country. The main reason the US and others have a problem is that the market was never wide-open for exploitation like it was elsewhere in the former CIS and Eastern Europe.

In case you didn't know (which seems likely...) power inherited within one family is certainly not what what any of the socialist or communist political philosophers supported. They would have been strongly against that.

Now you can throw around a few more phrases like "commie hell" if you like but if you want to play cold war, I doubt you'll have much success here.