We are more like Russia than most people like to think especially under progressive ideology. First progressives have gone so far to the left, they have become "conservatives" and "conservatives" today are the liberals.
Liberalism is founded on the idea that government exists to support and protect citizens unalienable rights and contracted Constitutional civil rights among other things. So, requiring individuals with natural immunity which science shows produces no measurable benefit is an example of government coercing the people against their individual liberty without even having the argument that they are doing it to protect the population at large.
In the 60s, conservatives told liberals like me, that they should love the country or leave it... meaning they should support the government. I always have loved this country, even when I express my free speech rights to criticize it.
Poverty has little to do with government structure
It exists in autocracies, democracies, monarchies, and oligarchies, etc. So not sure how that whole narrative has anything to with whether America is Russia. What does distinguish America is that our economy produces so many jobs, that someone who graduates high school without children and takes a full time job is unlikely to be living below the poverty line after a few years on the job. That is remarkable compared to the world where in many countries regardless of their form of government people live in poverty.
Even more remarkable is the official poverty rate in social democracies like Germany is higher than in the US. So if socialism produces higher poverty rates why do people fall in love with it? Perhaps its advocates are great marketers... Keep in mind, capitalism only works when business owners produce things people want and buy. Socialism works by government deciding what should be made and who should get it. Which system over time do you think produces better outcomes. The key word is "over time".
Finally, we are landlords and I find your comments somewhat offensive. The "profit" we earn on our properties is around 2% on our investment. Another way to look at that is we are letting people use our capital in the form of housing for only 2% a year. Are you willing to lend money for 2%, if yes let me know and we can work out a deal. Meanwhile, my credit is excellent, the credit of our tenants not so much. I think you often shoot from the hip with comments you have not researched. Your landlord comment reflects that... the better question is why do we provide housing at all for only 2%... good question... but for the last few years, 2% was better than the bank paid on CDs.
