Good point. Still, even now in Russia (never mind USSR), political opponents are put into psychiatric hospitals. In USSR there was a total state monopoly on media (propaganda), you could have your life ruined for not toeing the party line or not turning up at Communist fetes.

Things in the US look very ugly to me as an outsider, but still they got nothing on proper totalitarian state. Getting closer though!

Now that you have mention that... Add some unquestionable 3-letter agencies, "national security concerns" and "spies and outside-funded agitators are everywhere", and we are getting quite closely to what I remember from end of 70s/beginning of 80s. sigh

Well, funnily enough, I’m sure America’s opponents are helping to stir the mess. I’m sure roubles or yuans flow in via crypto or whatever to help stir trouble.

Of course not out of support for a noble goal, or a low desire to watch a fight, but to destabilise the situation.

Still, it’s America’s fault for getting to this point...

I'm sure they are, but the opposite is also true: every disordered regime or pressured state points to foreign interference as the reason for strife. There are distortions in both directions and not really any reliable information.

The mainstream media seems shockingly Soviet now, too, perhaps with the difference that more people still believe it. Do you agree? I'd like to hear your comparison.

One difference from the USSR is that there remain plenty of alternative sources on the margins. They're shut out of the mainstream, but they're a lot more accessible than samizdat. It will be interesting to see if they get shut down. I don't think they will. I don't think the future is full-Soviet, but it may be neo-Soviet. We've come further in that direction already than anyone expected.

Another difference from the USSR is that it's a binary system (Dems vs. Repubs, CNN vs. Fox) rather than a monolithic one.

Well, history doesn't repeat itself exactly, so current situation is very different in details but it's basically the same. Samizdat of these days is much more accessible indeed.

To me Dems/Repubs, CNN/Fox look the same, just different wings of the same bird.