The USSR did not “rapidly depart from Marxist ideals.” I don’t know where this mythologized version of Marxism originated, but Marx was explicit about wanting a dictatorship of the proletariat, a democratically controlled state that had public ownership as the principal aspect of the economy. This was the only path Marx saw as a transition to communism.
Also, rent was mostly a nominal thing as far as it related to disposable income in the USSR, which is completely different from the US. Makes sense considering the USSR was run by the working classes and the US is run by capitalists.
The USSR did not “rapidly depart from Marxist ideals.” I don’t know where this mythologized version of Marxism originated, but Marx was explicit about wanting a dictatorship of the proletariat, a democratically controlled state that had public ownership as the principal aspect of the economy. This was the only path Marx saw as a transition to communism.
Also, rent was mostly a nominal thing as far as it related to disposable income in the USSR, which is completely different from the US. Makes sense considering the USSR was run by the working classes and the US is run by capitalists.