The point he was making was that 1970s Soviet Russians had more access to information in practice than Americans today, which has nothing to do with whether or

The point he was making was that 1970s Soviet Russians had more access to information in practice than Americans today, which has nothing to do with whether or not Russia allowed it. I don't think "both countries tried to censor but only the US was successful at it" is the gotcha you think it is. On another note I don't know exactly what you are trying to say in your top-level comment; Chomsky has said "when [Lenin] became the leader he didn't waste much time and Trotsky helped him in instituting a uh a pretty repressive regime which wasn't Stalinism but all the basic elements of Stalinism". Is that what you are referring to? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_2A_RoonI&t=304s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q_2A_RoonI&t=304s