my 2 cent about Belarus: my family and friends live in both Minsk and Gomel (city on the east), I spent a few months in each city back in 2012 and 2014, but didn't visit since then. The country is clean and friendly, very safe in terms of personal safety since the regime is a "police regime" so all crime was eradicated at all levels in the last 20 years (except the 'top' group themselves of course
the 'authorized crime' police regime who can do whatever they want with whoever they want). So unless you get in trouble with the police/law things are good. The cities are very nice, convenient, cheap, tasty food, pretty girls, green/clean/spacious streets. It's a bit sad, that economic and political situation is in garbage, but the population of people (who survived the 'cleansing' by the police state over 20 years
) are very nice overall, I communicated a lot with locals, both while living there, dating, and while living abroad (so many Belarussians are moving abroad for work, some permanently, some temporarily), it's a good country and good people. Not much there is "fair" since it's impossible to oppose/challenge the government at any level, so they either must fully obey all rules, or risk to get in big trouble. My family and friends who stay, like it there, and the ones who didn't liked it 'as much', have left, and it was easy to leave actually, there are many options. Everyone obviously is waiting for the 'nature to take its course' for when current regime could be replaced, but I actually disagree with that a bit, since despite the 'big boss' did many mistakes over his 30 years in power, it could've been worse (look at Russia where did they end up, and Ukraine even without the war was not the best place [half of our family are in Ukraine and I also spent time there, on a 'month here month there' visits, so I talk only from personal experience, not from rumors, and omg if I was to chose where to live back then 10-15 years ago or today, I'd chose Belarus over Ukraine or Russia any day, 100%] )
And about the dictatorship vs democracy, it's such an interesting question really. Look at Argentina, the 100% inflation democracy
or Greece/Turkey, unemployment, crisis, inflation, it's not as simple as 'dictatorship'=bad, 'democracy'=good, when people in the 'democracy' for example are corrupt af, is it good?. oh btw, do you know what the Ukrainians are fighting for and defending so fiercely at the moment? it's their right to receive the goddamn 50$/month pension when they're 60
but at least in a democratic state! (one of my uncles just got to pension age last year and we laughed about what exactly we're defending so fiercely like it's golden rivers all around
, we calculated that he paid in total around 900k$ in taxes during just last 30 years, and it's kinda funny to get a 50$/month [spit in a face] rate which almost equals the bamboo-house Thai pensions which are at ~30$/mo, but Thais did not pay any taxes at all since they've never hit the threshold to get taxed, below 350$/mo salaries are exempt, and above 350$ it only starts with 5% tax, majority of 'normie' Thais are in 0%-10% brackets). I'm fine with dictatorship as form of government, Belarussian version was quite good until the Boss got older and started to hold for his life, to the throne. But he had no choice, the new gvmt would jail him, the 'police state' if becomes democratic for real, has such a pile of activity to get jailed for, that all top and middle layers will go kaput. why would they let it happen? they'll hold for dear life, without a bloody revolution they won't let go of power, and I believe it's not just about the 10-20 people at the very top, also all the 'forces' who are enforcement arm of the regime. My guess is that Belarus will stay the same for the next 20-30 years. People have no guns and are also very 'soft' (since all the 'hardened' ones are in police, one the other side of the barricades, getting paid well and love to remain being the 'top caste' in the country).