[throwaway5752]

Nobody is making the literal comparison. Eastern bloc was a totally different form of repression, the top poster in the thread was just making a clumsy comparison between different forms of oppressive state action. Connecticut has plenty of citizens with license plates, stickers, and flags on vehicles that mock or call for violence against the current US president. They do so without any fear of imprisonment. Try that with a Solidarity sticker in Poland in the 80s. I have no doubt they had a healthier view towards independence in childhood in Poland in the 1980s, though.

As smart people, let's get a grip and realize that outlier incidents happen all the time, and just question the why and when they get coverage.