This is the kind of comment written by someone who only knows a country from its headlines. The US, as a resident, skews wildly from the popular narrative in many ways much of the time -- regardless who is in charge.
Much of the time, thats it, you named it. To me the worst case scenario (I work in IT, so I often think in the worst case scenarios) in few relatively common situations, _seems_ to be much worse in the US.
Common, like being ill, visiting hospital, going to school, being stopped by the police.... (headlines again).