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Comment by joshuaissac | Hacker News Reader

The US is not even close to totalitarian. Even China, a far more repressive state, is not totalitarian. Totalitarian governments are those that are so authoritarian that they control just about all aspects of life of the residents. Only Eritrea and North Korea fit the bill in today's world.

Yes, OP has a point, but his characterisation of the US is not accurate.

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I think comparing the US to China is misleading. Compared to the US in the past I can't tell if it's more totalitarian. Looking from the outside it looks more totalitarian.

Freedom of speech and privacy have been eroding in the US. I don't know if police brutality is constant at this level though I think the large amount of military grade equipment the police have has increased.

From my perspective it seems like a good idea for the US to reflect on where it is going compared to its past.

I don't get that at all. There is more communication going on now, than at any point in history. Easy proof: the internet and Twitter exist now. How is this an erosion of free speech? Almost every last dope in the country can blurt out nonsense 100 times a day (look at our POS).

more communication != free speech

Wha?! It's kind of the definition. Talk when you like, say what you like.

Of course that was a relative classification. When selecting my destinations for travel I do not start at the end of the list. And traditionally the US has been on a top rank.

My daughter had a phase where she was excited about China. She was not happy with my clear refusal to travel there. I was in Russia once for 12 hours, because there was the possibility to go there without a visa. These decisions don't follow scientific criteria.

Just to poke your brain, or anyone's, suppose we shared concerns and views on all topics. Now let's consider a spectrum of "how well are are individual rights upheld in practice?", with all the nuances.

What's your short list of particularly good/best places in SE Asia/Oceania (that you'd be comfortable travelling to, but even work with, invest in? (Coming from the north Atlantic)

I'm down to:

- Australia + NZ

- Taiwan (sadly HK seems 'compromised')

- Singapore

Pretty much in that order. That's the shortest this list has even been in my lifetime. What am I not seeing?

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