I left Australia less than a decade ago, but some of the recent changes in politics and culture are so alien to me, it feels like I could have left a century ag

I left Australia less than a decade ago, but some of the recent changes in politics and culture are so alien to me, it feels like I could have left a century ago. The state policing what people who receive government aid are spending their money on, for example -- I can't imagine anyone being for this 10 years ago. I've noticed that it's more acceptable to be xenophobic amongst certain groups too. Many things have been reduce to "us vs. them". Us vs. the "scroungers", us vs. the immigrants, us vs. the "lefties", us vs. the "climate lunatics" I struggle to recognise the country I left.