giggles_01

I'll bite too. I grew up and lived for ~25 years in an authoritarian country that was in comparison to others at that time relatively nice. It is now on its way to transform into true democracy.

> It's more about probabilities.

I totally agree.

>People occasionally did disappear (usually temporarily).

As long as its not me - it is ok. Do I read it correctly?

Let me ask a set of questions and I am curious what you'd pick.

>While they could prevent you from leaving the country, they didn't have no fly lists

What would you take: a higher chance to get on no fly list but still be able to drive to Mexico or Canada and fly from there or leave by boat or lower chance to not being able to leave the country at all for quite some time (potentially ever)?

>It's ridiculously easy to end up with felony charges...

What would you take: a higher chance to get felony charges or a lower chance to be in a wrong place and wrong time (killed for fun) with someone who paid their way out criminal justice (that's my explanation of a part of low criminal record)?

>And typically no one has to worry whether they'll find an apartment due to some crime they committed a decade ago.

The country were I lived a bit earlier would tell you were you can live. What would you take: a higher chance to have problems with apartments search or not being legally allowed to move cities without power tripping local bureaucrat giving you permission?

>And sorry, but no. No local oligarch/overlord. That's orthogonal to authoritarian governments (and is often more about ineffective governments).

That is how it works, you need to have loyal people in local places. You can call it however you want: mayor of the city, ruling party local political leader, etc.

Edit: formatting.

I got downvoted and maybe I misunderstood your response. I read: "I'm aware of my privilege, but since I have it does it not make sense to use it for my maximum liberty? At the end of the day I have to act with the resources I have, not the resources someone else has." as I will go to those countries and since 20$ is a crisp change for me I will do whatever I want and pay my way out of it.

What are we talking about here? You can power trip (literally and figuratively) as much as you are able. Some countries are good for that. That doesn't make those countries "freer" as parent comment suggests.

I think a lot of folks in US over-romanticize those "feel freer" authoritarian countries. In some cases like this it might be better but I don't think systematic cases of: "inconvenient" people disappearing, being at complete mercy of local oligarch/overlord, inability to leave your country are such rampant in US as in those countries. Usually people who write something like this never lived in an authoritarian country as a local but were there on a 2 weeks trip or heard it from someone who was on a trip or someone who moved to US (why moving if it is such a great place to live?).

You should try to live there as an average local person with average income and without "connections". "Crisp $20" in some countries might be quite a lot.

Also: I've seen this many times, foreigners from rich countries get completely different treatment.

Would you be so kind to generalize the advices you receive and post them (without PII)?

Surely the better way was to wait silently for tanks first in Moldova, then later in Baltic states and Poland, then Berlin (it was in DDR after all) + huge wave of refugees + more death and torture first on your doorsteps and then in your house. Russia is such a peaceful nation after all, it is all those NATO warmongers who made it rape children in Ukraine.