It’s been that way for ages around the world. The 2000s were full of news stories from places like Russia, with protests about the actions of their government and the treatment of political opposition. Those stories have largely died down, not because Russia changed, but because they clamped down on dissent. The US is just catching up. It wasn’t just Russia either. We’ve seen this globally with most major political activities over the last decade or more. Where once we were getting video of events in real time, now they’ve learned to shut down the internet, censor the digital forums, 'flood the zone'. Where once you could be critical of this government or that, it has become an internet of heavily commercialized influencers. It sucks, man.

Like...Russia, China, India, Iran, Isreal, UK, and a handful of others that I can't remember.

It's happening everywhere and all in slightly different ways but it's not JUST the US. I just tend to remember Russia the best because they are the closest to what seems to be happening in the US at a visual level. The old videos of arrests and protests in Russia almost mirror the modern ICE videos. I suspect it will only get worse.