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Probably not a popular opinion, but current Covid restrictions have limited personal freedoms in more meaningful ways than political changes in any country. You

Probably not a popular opinion, but current Covid restrictions have limited personal freedoms in more meaningful ways than political changes in any country. You can live in a very liberal European country (ex. Netherlands or Denmark) and have fewer freedoms with regards to your ability to go outside where you need to go than 'a less democratic country' with lax covid policies. Feels really strange. Also, it's a very western view to a country to be less or more democratic, depending on how authoritarian a current leader is. You can talk to an average person in India, Turkey or Hungary and very few will feel that they are now less free because, say, Orban or Modi is in charge (although they may totally dislike their leaders).

sa1 6y ago
I had the privilege to be able to leave the country this year, the lack of freedom inside India had become personally stifling. I went from lax Covid policies to a locked down city, and I feel freer.
- ralusek 6y ago
  What was the lack of freedom you experienced in India? Not asking rhetorically.
  - avh02 6y ago
    not the OP, but on my few (yes, tourist) visits to India - I've found things done that try to watch or "guide" you to do things a certain way. Examples: getting a phone number as tourist was complex, we decided to keep roaming for 5 weeks. every hotel you check in to asks you to write down where you came from and where you're going next. all so they can probably throw it in the trash. we didn't know where we were going next half the time, we made it up. The amount of personal data required to do just about anything. at the airports they have staff that will sit and make random marks on your boarding pass and write things down, but not consistently. for me it felt very much like India was a "state that thinks it's in control of everything but doesn't have a real, substantive grasp on anything" - yet as a foreigner, i felt very much managed. all opinion ^^

sa1 6y ago

I had the privilege to be able to leave the country this year, the lack of freedom inside India had become personally stifling. I went from lax Covid policies to a locked down city, and I feel freer.

ralusek 6y ago
What was the lack of freedom you experienced in India? Not asking rhetorically.
- avh02 6y ago
  not the OP, but on my few (yes, tourist) visits to India - I've found things done that try to watch or "guide" you to do things a certain way. Examples: getting a phone number as tourist was complex, we decided to keep roaming for 5 weeks. every hotel you check in to asks you to write down where you came from and where you're going next. all so they can probably throw it in the trash. we didn't know where we were going next half the time, we made it up. The amount of personal data required to do just about anything. at the airports they have staff that will sit and make random marks on your boarding pass and write things down, but not consistently. for me it felt very much like India was a "state that thinks it's in control of everything but doesn't have a real, substantive grasp on anything" - yet as a foreigner, i felt very much managed. all opinion ^^