[WinstonSmith84]

OP has written: > even here in the west

No indeed it's not specific to the west, but the emphasis was worth it: many western people have such an high opinion of their country that they believe it could only happen in Iran, Russia, North Korea and the likes

[PeterisP]

There definitely is a difference. For example, he is alive - in countries around me there are similar cases which didn't end that well.