I don't think is socially acceptable in the West to mention the good parts of the other side of the Iron Curtain. You must always mention the Stasi.
Even though the Berlin wall came down 30 years ago, the End of History ethos remains.
Even though the Berlin wall came down 30 years ago, the End of History ethos remains.
I would argue it's completely orthogonal. You can selective adopt other cultural practices. Resistance to advertising does not imply mass surveillance, it's actually the opposite.